The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-07-06
TO ASK FOR A Vote
RIGHTS OF PRIVATE PROPERTY
At SEA DISCUSSED.
Mr.. Choate on Behalf of United
States VIII Ask For a EXPIRES
sion on the Policy America
Has Advocated for Many
Years.

The Hague, June 29.-The sitting
yesterday Of the first committee Of the
peace conference afforded an oppor-
tunity for Joseph II. Choate to de-
liver an eloquent speech upholding
the exemption Of private property,
except oontraband, from capture on
the high seas.
The sitting began with considera-
ton Of the following questions:
"First-Do practice and legislation
admit of belligerent states transfer
ming merchantmen into warships?
"Secoud-In case Of merchantmen
being transformed into warshipe,
what are the legal conditions which
belligerents have to observe?
"Third-Is the present practice re-
lating to the capture and confiscation
Of merchantmen sailing under a hos
tile flag to be maintained or abol-
ished?''
Count Tornielli, Italian. and Sir
Edward Frye, British, observed that
in principle the first question was
generally admitted, and thus, they
said, it was only necessary to define
conditions for the Transformation of
merchantmen.
America Supported
Then began the debate on the ex-
emption Of private property at sea.
Baron Macchio, Austrian, supported
the American proposition.
Senior Barbosa, Brazil, gave a his
torical survey Of the attitude of the
United States from the time of Ben
jamin Franklin, and eulogized the
position assumed by the United States,
which, he declared, was the view of
the whole American hemisphere.
Senior Barbosa concluded by declar-
ing that by the orders of his govern
ment he associated himself with the
American proposal.
Mr.. Choate then made a speech
based on the American declaration
Of the conference of 1899. He referred
to the different occasions in which
the United States had proclaimed her
support of the doctrine. Long before
the first conference, in 1856, Mr..
Choate said, Russia declared the mat
ter worthy of consideration, saying
that the success of the American prin
ciple would be ''crown of glory to
modern diplomacy"
His survey showed that the United
States had followed the same policy of
q century, earnestly urging in the
first days of its existence that the
principle be adopted. He recalled
the vote of the Brussels conference in
1874 on the immunity of private
property on land, and asked that the
same principal be extended to private
property at sea.
Mr.. Choate concluded by saying
that President Roosevelt attached such
Importance to the question that he
wished to evoke an expression of opin-
ion on it by a vote of all the coun-
tries represented at the conference.
Mr.. Choate spoke in English, M.
Frammagoet, France, translating for
him.
Count Tornielli said that Italy IA
vored the American proposition.
After Mr.. Choate's speech, NJ Nell
idof said tht the American PROPOSE
ton would defeat its own purpose, as
the exemption Of private property, e.
pecially in the case Of certain coun-
tries, whose greatest wealth is their sea
commerce, would exercise salutary
influence upon nations, which, he said,
from material considerations, would
avoid war. It is stated that M. Nell
doff's statement was received with
murmurs Of disapproval.