The San Francisco call., 1907-06-29
.CH0ATE PLEADS FOR
PROPERTY EXEMPTION
Delivers Address at First
Committee Sitting OF
Peace Conference

THE HAGUE, June 2S.-The sitting
of the first committee of the peace con-
ference today afforded an opportunity
for Joseph H. Choate to deliver an
eloquent speech upholding the exemp-
ton of private property, except contra
band, from capture on the hfgh sea-
The success of his speech left the i'm
preston that the American proposition,
which in the conference OF 1893 was
only taken for consideration, this time
will be approved unanimously.
The sitting began with consideration
of the following question::
fFirst-Do practice and legislation
admit of belligerent states transform
ing merchantmen into war ships?
"Second-In the case of merchant
men being transformed into war ships,
what are the legal conditions which
belligerents will have to observe?
Thirds the present practice re-
lating to the capture and confiscation
of merchantmen sailing under a hostile
flag to be maintained or abolished?"
Count Tornielli, italian. and Sir Ed
ward Fry British, observed in the prin-
ciple the first question was generally
admitted, and thus 1t was only neces-
sary to define conditions for the trans
formation Of merchantmen.
Then began the debate on the exemp-
tion of private property at sea. Baron
| Macchio. Austrian, supported the Amer
| lean proposition.
Senior Barbosa, Brazil, gave a his
torical survey of the attitude of the
United States from the time of Benja-
min Franklin and eulogized the posi-
| ton assumed by the United States.
which he declared was the view of the
whole American hemisphere.
| Choate then made speech based on
the American declaration at the confer
ence of 1899. He referred to. the diff
| ferent occasions in which the United
States had proclaimed her support OF
| the doctrine-by treaties in 1875 with
| Prussia, with Bolivia IN 1883 and with
Italy in 1871. He enumerated the cir
cumstances under which this principle
received the approval of jurists and the
sympathy of nations. while excellent
authorities like Palmerston. Golden
Bluntschlei. Nesselrode. Wolsley and
Marten had pronounced themselves in
! favor of it.
| Long before the first conference in
1856, Choate said, Russia declared the
matter worthy of consideration. saying
| that the success of the American prin-
| ciple would be Grown of glory tc
modern diplomacy His survey
| showed that the United States had fol-
lowed the same policy for over a GEN.
Jury, earnestly uISluS III the HISI QdyS
| of its existence that the principle be
adopted. He recalled the vote of the
Brussels conference in 1874 on the i'm
munity of private property on land and
asked that the same principle be ex-
tended to private property at sea-
| Choate sought TO prove that all neu-
| tral powers were interested in the
question and the tendency was to re-
| strict war to its proper domain The
privateering of former years was los
! ing more and more in importance in
view of the great technical perfections
of the present day. The speaker de-
clared: "One might say the game is
beginning to be not worth the candle
! Choate concluded by saying that
President Roosevelt attached such i'm
portance to the question that he wished
to evoke an expression of opinion on II
by vote of all the countries repre-
sented at the conference. Choate spoke
In English. Fromageot of France trans
/ lating.
Count TornieIli said that Italy IA
vored the American proposition.
The discussion was then adjourned
until the meeting of the committee or
next Wednesday.