The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-04-07
HAGUE CONFERENCE
UNEXPECTED MOVE MADE FOR
RECONVENTION.
Russia Makes Proposal to Powers
for Meeting Early in the Sum-
mer--Some Rapid Diplomatic
Maneuvering Likely in Conse-
quence.

quence.
Washington, April 5.-Unexpect-
eddy the Russian government made an
other movement toward the reconven-
ton of The Hague conference when
Baron Rosen, the Russian ambassador,
on Tuesday presented to Secretary
Root proposal for the reconvention
of the conference at The Hague early
in the coming summer, and indicated
that the Netherlands government had
assented to the proposal.
The fact that Russia and the Meth
erlands have agreed makes it probable
that other signatory powers to the
original Hague convention which ac-
cepted the invitation to attend the
next conference will agree to the pro-
posed date, although the short period
of time available will make it neces.
sary for some of the powers which
have given little attention to the sub
ject recently to do some rapid diplo-
matte work in order to arrange pro-
grams according to their own desires.
1t is certain that the proposed Rus
sian program, as conveyed to the state
department by Baron Rosen, while not
meeting positive objections, will at
least call forth some projects differing
materially in scope and detail from
the Russian plan.
The Russian program provides that
all political questions shall be exclnd-
ed from the conference and makes
these provisions:
Amelioration of provision of the
convention concerning the settlement
of international controversies SO far as
the court of arbitration and the inves-
tigation committees are concerned.
Additions to the laws and usages of
land warfare, among others the open.
ing of hostilities, rights of neutrals on
land, declarations of 1889-renewal
of one of them.
Compilation of international Code.
ing the laws and usages of naval war
fare, such as commandment of forts by
naval forces, location of torpedoes,
change of merchant vessels into war.
ships, private property of belligerents
at sea, time allowed merchant vessels
to leave neutral or hostile ports after
the beginning of hostilities, rights and
duties of neutral at sea-among others
the question of cOntraband rules tC
which belligerent vessels must submit
in neutral ports, destruction from I'M.
comfortable causes Of merchant vessels
captured as prizes.
Into this convention would be In
serted provisions concerning land war.
fare which would apply to naval war
fare; supplements to the convention
for the adaptation to naval fights OF
the principles of the Geneva conven.
ton held in 1864.
A casual review of the proposal
discloses nothing that is calculated to
arouse opposition on the part of the
United States government, but unless
the Algericas conference has materi.
ally modified the views of certain Of
the great European powers, there is q
notable disinclination to enter into
any engagements that would further
restrict the independence of action Of
a power in international matters.
The first paragraph of the Russian
program is regarded as tending toward
the restriction in that it makes il
easier for powers to engage in media.
ton or arbitration and in consequence
enables majority Of the powers to
force settlement upon one Of their
number when it would much rather
protract the use of diplomatic measures
even to the verge of forcible compul-
sion
Suggestion of the Last War.
Several of the Russian proposals are
really in substance the same as those