The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-04
THE HAGUE
 CONFERENCE Russia Proposes An
 other Session. TO MEET EARLY THIS SUMMER United States is Agreeable to the
 Proposition. At the Same Time, Washington Is sl the Opinion That There VIII Be Objection on the Part of Euro-
 pean Nations.
TO MEET EARLY THIS SUMMER

Washington April 3.--Unexpectedly
 the Russian government today made
 another movement toward the recon
 vention of the Hague conference. when
 Baron Rosen. the Russian Ambassador.
 presented to Secretary Root a proposal
 for the reconvention of the conference
 at the Hague early in the coming sum-
 mer and indicated that the Netherlands
 government had assented to the pro- posal.
 I It had been supposed that owing to
 the complexity of the problems in-
 volved in the arrangement of even
 tentative program for the conference
 and delays caused by the necessity of persuading the Swiss government to 1 make the time and program for the ap-
 preaching Red Cross convention con- form as far as possible to the Hague l project it would scarcely he possible for the conference to assemble earlier
 than a late date next fall, There vera l reasonable objections, however. to suo
 a date and it was intimated that it might be necessary to defer the con-
 vention until next year.
 | The matter had been left in large part to the governments of Russia and l the Netherlands to adjust. the first
 named because of the proposal for the l conference had originated with Emper- | or Nicholas. and the latter for the rea- son that the host should be consulted l when 1t concerned a matter of date for the conference.
 The Time is short.
 The fact that they have agreed makes 1t probable that the other sig natory powers to the original Hague convention which have accepted ths invitation to attend the next conferences will agree to the proposed date. al- though the short period of time avail able will make 1t necessary for some or the powers which have given little at tention to the subject recently 10 dd some rapid diplomatic work In order to arrange programs according to tneir | own desires.
 For 1t is certain that this proposed | Russian program as conveyed to the l state department today by Baron Ro- l sen will, while not meet TX positive oh. I Elections. at least call forth some pro- 1 Jects differing materially In scope ano 1 detail from the Russian plan. A casual | reading of the proposal discloses noth- | ing that is calculated to arouse oppo- l sjtion on the part of the United States
 government. but unless the Aigeciras | conference has materially modelled the views of certain of the European great l powers, there Is a notable disinciina- | ton to enter into any engagements
 that would further restrict the inde-
 pendence of action of power in inter national matters
 The first paragraph of the Russian program Is regarded as tending toward | the restriction. in that 1t makes It cas- l fer for powers to engage in meuiauon | or arbitration and In consequence eh- | ables a majority of the powers to force | a settlement on one of their numper when 1t would much rather protract the use of strong diplomatic measures and even proceed to the verge or forci- hta rnnaDuIgfOn Several of the Russian proposals are really in substance the same as was those proposed by the Hague con ference itself. as proper for considera- ton by another conference, but there is a suggestion of the last great war in the reference for regulation TOT 'opening hostilities' for the Russians have never admitted the legality un- der international war of the Japanese attack on the Russian warsnips m Chemulpo harbor and at Port Arthur without 1t was asserted, the formal notice of the opening of hosuIities'
 Private Property Rights.
 The suggestion relative to the rec- ognition of private property rights m shipping and cargoes will ma ready favor with the State Department for inc government has been foremost in advocating this for many years
 Tho resume of what the Russian gov erOment proposes 10 SuDIhli to SrO eo" florence and which was handed to Sec retarv Root by Baron Rosen today pro- vidos that all political questions shan be excluded from the conference ana makes ten provisions
 AmeIiorations of the provisions of the convention concerning the settlement of international controversies.
 Additions to the laws and usages or land warfare. among others. opening of hostilities rights of neutrals on land, etc
 Compilation of a convention regard ing the laws and usages of naval war fare relating to the specail operation of naval warfare, such as bombard- mcnt of forts by naval forces; loca- ton of torpedoes; change of merchant vessels into warships private property of beIligerants at sea, time allowed merchant vessels to leave neutral ports after the beginning of hostiiities; rights and duties of neutrals at sea, among others the question of contra band: rules to which belligerent ves- sells must submit in neutral ports; destruction from uncomfortable 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 of naval fights to the principles of the Geneva conven' tion held In 1884.