The Washington herald., 1907-07-07
STAGGERS The HAGUE
Peace Body Is Overwhelmed
With Business.
CHOATE's PROPOSAL DOOMED
InvfoInbiIity of Property at Sea Has
No Chance of Adoption by Present
DeIegates-Discussio of Academic
Questions Prevents Taking I'D Mat
ters OF Practical Importance.

The Hague, July eff the Peace Con-
ference should sit for a fun year it would
not be possible 10 adequately discuss
much less decide, all the proposals for
sweeping changes Of the rules OF war
fare now before its various committees
It is these questions, and not the prob
lem Of the prevention Of war, which alb
sorbed the attention of the delegates
They are so complex, so transcendentally
important to the principal powers that
it is already becoming evident that little
will result from the mass of arguments
and conflicting interests which are being
developed
The present confusion will lead 10 a
deadlock, then, as similar circumstances
did in the last conference. The leaders
will say to each other, well, what can
We do to prove that our iabOrs have
not been entirely abortive?"
Already much pressure is being brought
10 bear from certain sources. The Lon
don Times correspondent describes the
members Of the conference as "Cosmo-
politan swelled-heads, who conceive that
friendship for every country but their
own is proof Of superior enlightenment
and moral rectitude, timid or astute per
sons who always seek refuge in half
measures irrespective of the import of
the measures they are asked TO halve and
honest fanatics who believe that If only
the conference would decree a millennium
the millennium would begin.
England Must Not De Trapped.
It may safely be assumed that the
Times is right when it says England
must not be trapped or surprised. OF over
persuaded into conventions which would
strike the point from her trident"
The attitude Of her delegates already
makes it clear that there will be no
agreement here or any radical departure
from the present rules of war Sir Ernest
Satow, one Of the British delegates. put
the thing in a nutshell when he said this
week that the movement "in favor Of the
ideal Of the abolition of war is not suf-
fciently developed TO allow us to accept
the doctrine Of the immunity Of private
property at sea"
That declaration is a clear indication
Of the British position, and France and
Russia largely share it,
American Proposal Doomed.
The American proposal Of the invIola-
bility Of private property at sea has,
therefore, no chance Of adoption al the
present conference. The American dele
gates never had any illusions on the sub
tect, and their real object. which was to
have the point thoroughly discussed, is
fully achieved
The discussions which are now taking
place are Of the gravest academic i'm
portance; but practical points on which
the conference may be able TO reach an
agreement have not yet been touched
These, of course, are Of comparatively
minor interest, and it remains 10 be seen
how long II will be before the conference
comes down to real business.
Mr.. Choate, of the American delegation,
when he arrived. thought that the delib
erations might be finished in a month or
so. Now he is wondering whether he will
live long enough to see his native land
once more.