The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-04-05

(Contlnued from First Page) ment, to observe certain limitations in the use of force in collecting ordinary public debts accruing from contracts.
 "The Spanish government has ex- pressed a desire to discuss the limita- tion of armaments, reserying to itself the right to deal with this question at the next meeting at The Hague.
 'SThe British government has given notice that 1t attaches great import ance to having the question of expendi- lures for arinaments discussed at the conference and has reserved to itself the right of raising it; it has also re- served to itself the right to taking no part in the discussion of any question mentioned in the Russian program which would be unlikely to produce any useful result to it.
 Japan is of opinion that certain questions that are not especially enu- merated in the programme might be conveniently included among the sub- tects for consideration and reserve to itself the right to take no part in or withdraw from any discussion taking, or tending to take, trend which, In it's Judgment, would not be conducive to any general result
 The governments of Bolivia, Dem mark, Greece and the Netherlands have also reserved to themselves, In a gen. eral way the right to submit to the consideration of the conference other subjects similar to those ttlat are ex- plicitly mentioned In the Russian pro- gramme.
 "The imperial government deems 1t its duty to declare, for its part, that it maintains it's programme of the month of April, 1906, as the basis for the de- | Alterations of the conference, and that if the conference should broach a ques- ton that would appear to it unlikely to end in any practical issue it reserves to ] itself, in its turn, the right to take no part in such a discussion.
 Remarks similar to this last have been made by the German and Austro Hungarian governments, which have likewise reserved to themselves the right to take no part In the discussion by the conference of any question which would appear unlikely to end in any practical issue.
 In bringing these reservations to the knowledge of the powers, and with the hope that the labors of the second peace conference will create new guarantees for the good understanding of the na- tions of the civilized world, the im- perial government has addressed to the government of the Netherlands a re- quest that it may be pleased to call the conference for the first days of June
 The reference in the note of the Rus sian ambassador to the original pro- gramme, which 1t regards as the only list of subjects which may properly come before the conference at the open ing of that body, was presented to the powers April 12, last year, and received the assent of all of the contracting par ties to the original Hague conventions. The points proposed in that pro- gramme were;
 '1-Improvements to be made in the provisions of the convention relative to the peaceful settlement of international disputes as regards the court of arbi- tration and the international commis- sion of inquiry.
 ''2-Additions to be made to the pro- visions of the convention of 1899 rela- tive to the laws and customs of war on land-among others those concern ing the opening of hostilities, the rights of neutrals on land, etc. Dec larations of 1899, one of these having expired, question of its being revived.
 '3-Framing of a convention relative to the laws and customs of maritime warfare, concerning
 "The special operations of maritime warfare such as the bombardment of ports, cities and villages by naval force, the laying of torpedoes, etc. "The transformation of merchant vessels into warships
 "The private property of belligerents at sea.
 'The length of time to be granted tC merchant ships for their departure from ports of neutrals, or of the enc. my after the opening of hostilities The rights and duties at sea of neu- trals, among others the question ot