The Washington herald., 1907-10-20
Minor Powers at The Hague
0bstruct Good Intentions.
WAR IS TO BE MORE POLITE
In Session Eighteen Weeks, worlds
Conference Prohibits "CFueI Bull
Measures - England, France, and
America Defeated, Though United.

which has just come to an end after sit
ting for eighteen weeks, was originally
proposed by President Roosevelt shortly
after the conclusion Of Peace between
Russia and Japan AT the Portsmouth con-
ference. In Difference 20 diplomatic ideas,
however. the actual initiative was left to
the Car, who had called the first one in
1899. On his motion. Queen Wilhelmina,
Of the Netherlands. sent out the invita-
ton 70 the powers, and the original date
set for the gathering was July, 1906
This period, however, clashed with that
chosen for the Pan-American Congress at
| Rio de Janeiro, and, as the latter could
not be postponed, the powers consented
/ to delay the Hague gathering. As the
| hau in which the conference meets is Oc-
cupied by the Netherlands Parliament in
/ the fail Of the year, the opening Of the
peace session had 20 go over until June I,
1897. The actual date was June Is.
Handicapped by Programme.
From the outset, the conference was
Handicapped by the programme which the
[ Car outlined for its discussions. In a
circular letter to the powers, sent out
early in the year. he proposed as the
/ scope Of the conferences labors:
improvements in the conventions reached
in 1888 regarding the peaceful settlement
/ OF international CONTROVERSIES through
changes in respect 20 the court Of arbitra-
ton.
Additions TO the convention regarding
the laws and usages Of land warfare.
such as declarations Of war and rights Of
ncutrals.
( 4 new convention regarding naval war
/ fare covering the bombardment Of ports,
planting Of mines, contraband of wax,
rights Of neutrals, transformation Of mer-
+ chant into war vessels
/ Conventions adapting the provisions Of
/ the Geneva conference Of 1854 10 naval
warfare
/ The greatest surprise and disappOint-
meut in these proposals was the omission
+ OF any allusion 90 disarmament or at least
/ "a reduction iu the scale Cf war prepara-
/ tions maintained by the nations OF Eu-
| rope Engl md with Sir Henry Camp
/ il-Banncrman. the premier. for mouth
/ piece raised a great cry for action on
/ the armament question. The United
/ States and France earnestly supported
! England Germany talked OF asserting
! o. the principle but It was plain from
/ the outset that neither she nor Russia
intended to let anything real be done.
/ Thus. what ultimately turned out 10 be
/ true was prophrsicd of the conference be-
/ fore il ass mbed, that it would be
/ gathering 10 .egislate for war. rather
/ than 10 promote peace
Powers Represented.
/ Invitations 10 take part in the confer
ence were sent To- every state in the
/ world possessing any degree Of civiliza-
/ tiou. China sent delegates, and although
Cuba was under the tutelage Of the
I United States. hers were also admitted.
+ Altogether. about fifty powers were rep
resented. The head of the United States
T delegation was Joseph II. ShOate. and as
socidted with him were Gen. Horace POr-
/ ter. T.. N. Rose. David Jayne Hill. United
+ States Minister 70 the Netherlands: Brig.
! Gen. George 3. Davis. Rear Admiral
/ Charles :. Sperry. William l. Buchanan.
7 Chandler Hale. James Brown Scott, and
/ Henry Butler.
Sir Henry Campbell eIl-Bannerman at first
proposed 70 represent England himself,
( but in the long run a somewhat second
rate delegation was chosen. headed by
. Sir Edward Fry. formerly lord justice
of appeal and a member Of the perma-
ment Hague court The French delegation
was headed by Leon Bourgeois, the Aus
triau by X Mercy de kapos-Mere, the
Italian by Count Ternelli-Brusau di
I Verguano. the German by Baron Mar
/ schaIl Won Biherstein. N. NelidOn
headed the Russian representatives, and
ne. in compliment TO the Car. as pro-
/ moter Of the conference, was elected it,
/ president. In the distribution of honors.
/ Mr.. Choate was made honorary senior
/ president Of the third commission. which
had 70 do with most of the practical
questions as TO the conduct of war.
/ There We're four commissions alto
'gether. and in these all the real work
was done, They We're practically large
/ committees. They discussed each propo-
sition submitted TO the conference, and
/ either killed il or put IL in shape 10 be
! voted on by the conference at large.
Obstruct Vital Proposals.
/ BY far the most important questions dis
! cussed We're those backed by the United
States delegates. These We're the estab-
/ Ilishment of compulsory arbitration as a
substitute for. or at least as a preliminary
[ 10. war; the rendering immune of private
property at sea, as il is on land except
conraband of war. and the Drago doc
/ trine regarding the collection Of private
debts by armed force exercised by a
strong power against weak one The
last Of these, as proposed by Mr.. Choate,
l "a - e
at Rio dc Janeiro.
All of these proposals, and, indeed
everything that was proposed met with
strenuous opposition from one or more
powers. At the outset Russia seemed
70 be the chief obstructive, opposing
everything which did not seem to fit her
particular needs and desires. Later Mar
schau Won Bieberstein came 20 the front
/ as the chief obsTuctori in the later ses-
sons he made no secret in showing that
Germany did not mean TO permit any
legislation that would lessen the likelihood
of war nor yet any that would hamper
her in a contest with France or England,
OF aid them in any way.
Another hopeless system Of obstruction
resulted from the equal representation
of the minor powers with the great ones
in the conference. By combining, such
states as ROumania and Ecuador were
able to defeat any proposition no matter
how vital 70 the interest Of great nations,
such as France. Germany, and England.
1t was the small states, especially those
of Latin America, that rendered ineffec-
tual all efforts 10 establish a great per-
maneut international tribunal TO which
all disputes might be submitted. They
demanded equal representation on the
bench, to which, Of course, the great
powers could not consent. and falling TO
get it, they virtually killed the PROPOSE