New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-18
NORTH SEA COMMISSION.
Great Preparations for the Meeting
an Paris on TUESDAY.

Paris, Dec. 17.--Cireat activity is manifested
In official and diplomatic quarters in connec-
Ton with the opening next Tuesday of the
sessions of tho international commission which
Is to inquire into the North Sea incident The
meeting will bring together some of the lead
Ing naval and legal figures OF the foremost
maritime powers. Besides the Anglo-Russian
crisis which the appointment Of the commits
SION has aNerted, 1t is expected that the meet
ing VIII establish number of precedents af-
fecting international naval conditions and the
rights and responsibilities of belligerents and
neutrals in time of war. The British and Rus
sian members of the commission will arrive
here Monday. The French member is already
here. The Red Star Line steamer Finland on
which Rear Admiral Charles H. Davis the
representatives of the American government on
the commission. is passenger. is due to ar
rive at Dover Sunday night, It is expected
that Admiral Davis will come by way of
Dover and Calais. arriving in Paris Monday.
He will be met by Lieutenant Commander
Smith, the American naval attaChe, who will
be a member of his staff. Quarters have been
engaged at the Hotel Brighton. overlooking the
Tuileries Gardens. including private dining
room and saloon and a suite of apartments. The
location is convenient to the commissions
headquarters at the Foreign Office the Quai
dOrsay. The admirars party consists of his
wife ana daughter and his aid Ensign William
F. Brcker. Admiral Davis will be occupied
Monday with calls Of ceremony on the Foreign
Minister. NJ. Delcasse; the Minister of Marine,
NJ. Pelletan; Ambassador Porter and the other
admrals of the commission. President Loubet
will receive the commission on Tuesday.
The various delegations include number of
interesting personages. The Russian Embassy
said to-day that their party included Admiral
Kaznakoff. the Russian member of the COM
mission; Lieutenant Colonel Stenger Baron
Taube the Russian judicial adviser Captain
Clado and I.ieutenants Ellis OFT and SChrem-
tchenko. Special interest attaches TO Captain
CIado, owing to his sensational arrest for en-
gaging in a newspaper campaign with the OBJ
ject of having the Black Sea Fleet pass the
DardaneIles 10 reinforce ViCe-Admiral Rojest-
vensky's squadron. Clado is considered to be
the ablest naval tactician in Russia, is chief
of the Tactical School and was chief tactician
with Rojestvensky.
The British party is made up of Rear Admiral
Sir Lewis A. Beaumont. Great Britains repre-
sentative on the commission: Sir Edward Fry,
counsel and Hugh O'Brien agent. Mr.. O'Brien
is we'll known in Washington, where he was
formerly secretary of the British Embassy and
a crack cross country rider of the Chevy Chase
Club. Sir Edward Fry. who is over seventy
years old, is one of the ablest iurists of Eng
land. He VIII be pitted against Baron Taube
equally eminent Russian jurist.
Admiral Fourier the French member Of the
commission, made many American friends in
connection with the visit of the Rochambeau
mission. Of which he was member.
Besides the chief personaGes. the witnesses
may include fishermen and sailors, thus Civ
Ing a picturesque stage setting 20 the meetings.
Final arrangements have been made for the
opening session TO take place on Tuesday. De-
cember 20. Instead of the gorgeous Hall Of the
Ambassadors. at first contemplated, the
commission viii be installed in more convenient
business quarters on the first floor OF the palace
Oh the Quai d'Orsay The meeting room is a
beautiful apartment in white and gold. with
Louis XIV decorations. mirrors and rich frescos.
There the commission viii first meet informally
and privately The Russian Embassy was sure
TODAY that the session would remain private
throughout. It is expected that NJ. Delcasse
Will make the address Of welcome. Thereafter
the admrals Will choose fifth admiral. deter
mine questions of procedure. and adjourn until
after the holidays. The recess will not be marked
by social affairs as the Russian Embassy is i'll
deep mourning. owing TO the death OF the Am
bassador's SON and the British Embassy is torn
up incident to the retirement Of Ambassador
Monsoon and the succession Of Sir Francis BERTHE
1t is understood that the British side Of the
case is practically made up. 1t is probable that
Sir Edward Fry will bear the burden OF present
ing and proving the case. as it is assumed that
the English common law principle will prevail
and that the burden Of proof is on Great brlalll
and not on Russia. This principle assumes that
persons charged with wrongdoing are innocent
until proved guilty; hence, it is probable thaL
Sir Edward Fry will seek 10 prove series OF
counts or charges smila: TO those of court
martial or Indictment This procedure permits
Russia 10 remain OH the defensive while Great
Britain endeavors to prove her case. However.
the protocol provides that the commission can
est a blish its own procedure, and, owing to the
mixed nationalities of the adrniras, It is not GER
tain whether English common law, the French
Civil Code or the Russo-Greek procedure Will