The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-14
INVITATION ACCEPTED
ENGLAND TO JOIN ROOsEvELT'S
 PEACE CONFERENCE.
Lansdowne' Says His Government is in American Presidents Hands, Onlx Reservation Being
 as to Subjects.

London, April 13.-In the House Of Lords today Lord Reay diberaD asked if President Roosevelts invitation 10 the powers to send representatives to second peace conference would be ac- cepted, and whether the question CT contraband of war would be brought before the conference.
 Foreign Secretary Lansdowne, reply ing, said the invitation had been ac- cepted without hesitation. The Gov ernment had placed itself in President Roosevelt's hands with the reservation merely as to the subjects which might be submitted to the conference. All the other powers had accepted the ln- vitation with equal cordiality ana with the same reservation.
 Lord Lansdowne said the position or the powers was most unsatisfactory n Regard to many questions of interna- tional law. The only method neu- tral court could adopt when at vari- ance with one of the two belligerents short of resorting to means which he, Lord Lansdowne, would rather not con- template. was to follow the example of Great Britain, press it's views as strongly as possible and make frequent protests. He pointed out that Great Britain's recent representations ana protests to Russia had not been with out effect. Lord Lansdowne, however, regretted that the Russian Government had not departed, in spite of all argu- ments, from the attitude it, first as- sumed in regard to the coal, notwith- standing the fact that at the Berlin conference of 1894 Russia adopted an attitude diametrically opposite that which she had now assumed.
 The Foreign Secretary said the Amer ican and British governments in these discussions held identical views. He believed that in regard to all these points the two governments had been eye to eye and that their diplomacy had been directed towards the accomp- lishment of the same ends.
 Lord Lansdowne outlined the sub jects for discussion which Secretary Hays note of invitation proposed and said that it would be impossible now to enumerate all the subjects which would at the proper moment be select ed, but when the time came probably all the matters which recently were Under discussion would be before the conference to which the American Gov ernment invited the powers.
 In conclusion Lord Lansdowne said that among other subjects which 1t was most desirable to discuss was the dan ger of floating mines, the new and ter rible development of modern warfare. In fact 1t was very desirable that a general agreement should be reached among the powers on all the points raised. Feeling that everything should be done to restrict the area of bel ,lgerent operations and minimize the uIffering and inconvenience of those di- Jectly and indirectly affected. the Gov ernment cordially welcomed the initi- ative of the United States and at the proper time would gladly associate it. self with the Government of the United States in dealing with those important questions The Secretary shared the hope that the time was not far distant when they might address themselves to more humane and more honorable tasks.