Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-10
Are Notified to Favor
Arbitration
President Roosevelt and Secretary
Root Dissatisfied with Lack of
Work Done by Present
Board
BY Associated press.

Hague conference, which convene.
June Is, the Washington government
has shown the deepest interest in every
detail Of the program of important
subjects to be considered by that con.
ference. OF the first order of impor-
tance, according to the American view
is the proposal that improvements be
made in the provisions of the existing
convention relative to a peaceful set
tlement of international disputes as re-
CARDS the court of arbitration and the
International commission of inquiry. In
structions of the American delegates
on this point are known to be explicit.
They are to do everything in their
power to influence the conference to
enlarge the powers of the permanent
Hague tribunal in dealing with arbi-
tration cases, and above all the effort
is to be made to bring more business
before the tribunal to induce nations
to have more frequent recourse to this
tribunal for the settlement of their dis
putes.
President Disappointed
The president and Secretary Root
are disappointed at the very small
issue from the august tribunal From
its creation it has passed upon just four
cases. First was the plus case, involv-
ing the disposition of the fund set
apart by Mexico to satisfy the Catho-
lie church in California for church
property taken over by the state Sec
ond, there was the settlement of the
question growing out of the blockade
of the Venezuelan ports by the allied
powers. Third was the Alaskan boun-
dary question between America and
Great Britain. Fourth was the decision
of question that had arisen between
Japan and Great Britain as to the ex-
emption from taxation of foreign dwell
ers in Japan. All but the last of these
cases were of American origin. In
other words although serious interna-
tional disputes have arisen and been
adjusted automatically or by force Of
arms since the creation of The Hague
tribunal America and Great Britain
have been the only parties to resort to
arbitration.
The American delegates will also take
an advanced position in the discussion
and treatment of the second article in
The Hague program, namely, the addi-
tions to the laws and customs of war
on land. Details of these propositions
relate to the opening of hositlities, the
rights of neutrals on land, etc.
It is understood that an attempt will
be made by the American delegates to
secure some general agreement as to
the Issuance of a declaration of war in
ample time before the beginning of
actual hositlities to insure reasonable
protection of the rights of neutral resi-
dents in the belligerent countries and
for neutral trade.
America Liberal
No country has taken a more ad-
-tAa t1, 4l,o
liberal treatment of neutrals on the
high seas in time of war, therefore the
American delegates will give strong
support to the third article of the pro-
gram, which in substance proposes to
minimize the exercise of the right of
bombardment and the seizure of pri-
vate property at sea. On the latter
point it may be recalled that America
was first among nations to propose that
private property on the seas should
be treated exactly as is property on
land in time of war; that 1t should be
exempt from seizure, if not made up
of contraband of war, and If seized to
meet naval necessities proper compen-
sation should be made to the owners.
America also takes a very liberal view
of contraband of war and her delegates
will seek to limit the list by interna-
tional agreement. something never
heretofore accomplished, so as to avoid
unjust seizures of private property.
American military strategists rely
heavily upon the submarine mine and
floating torpedo as a means of coast
defense, but the injuries sustained by
neutral shipping during and many
months after the conclusion of the
o-Japanese war has inclined the
authorities to the belief that some
means must be found to restrict this
r,,ic fnf tn win HanPn tha
Americans at The Hague will join in
any promising effort to lay down rules
limiting the zones within which mines
and torpedoes may be planted.
Certainly the American delegates will
give hearty support to the fourth and
last article of the permanent program
suggested by Russia, namely, to make
additions to the articles of the first
conference regarding the application to
modern warfare of the principles of
the Geneva convention. This conven-
ton dates back to 1854 and the Amer
ican delegates will do all in their power
to make the new rules conform to the
Developments of modern warfare.
Though not offering the same promise
of satisfactory agreement as the four
subjects on the regular program above
referred to, of far greater interest to
the public are two propositions, one
relating to the limitation or armamentS
and the other concerning the famous
Drago doctrines, which may be dis
cussed If the conference so wills.
The attitude of the American dele
gates toward these subjects, toward
which there has been much speculation,
is after all reasonably clear. A careful
perusaI of Secretary Roots public ut
terances discloses the attitude of the
American delegates, though, of course,
not the details of their instructions.
In substance their Instructions are to
the effect that from the beginning
America had held that the limitation of
armaments, being a legacy from the
first conference, cannot be ignored, and
should be discussed at the second con-
ference. Realizing that from its isolated
position the United States is less af.
fected by the needs of great ornaments
than are the closely crowded countries
of Europe, Mr.. Root believes that the
very fact of our isolation and COM
parative freedom from danger on this
score makes it possible for America to
advance the proposal with more advan-
tage than any other nation and without
any question of our disinterestedness.
No matter what scheme of Limitation
is urged it cannot be said that America
is in any danger of reaching that linz
ffatiOt1 In many wears to come But re-