Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-23
OPINION At THE HAGUE
Over Failure of the Peace Con-
ference.
CHOATE YET OPTIMISTIC
Nothing Definite as to Date of Next
Meeting.
AMERICANS CAME UNPREPARED
Reported Negotiation Of a Mexican
italian Treaty-only Success At
tanned by Germany.
YET OPTIMISTIC
AMERICANS CAME UNPREPARED

THE HAGUE. September 23.-senor Es-
teva, chief of the Mexican delegation to the
peace conference. and Count Tornieln, head
OF the delegation of Italy, are negotiating
Mexican-Italian treaty of general arbi-
tration. similar to the convention recently
concluded between Italy and Argentina. 1t
Ia expected that the treaty will be con-
cluded before the conference adjourns.
Charge Failure to the Americans.
After having been In session over three
months. and with adjournment probably
month in the distance. 1t is recognized
generally. and even by the most optimistic
In the peace movement. that the confer
ence has been and will be at it's conclu-
sion barren of results leading to per-
manent measures of benefit to the peace
OF the world. Mr.. Choate of the American
delegation. however, is still optimistic re-,
garding the results. even on the great ques
lions, and especially that of permanent
court OF arbitration. being satisfied that
the principle is admitted. He thinks that
once the conference has concluded it's ses-
sion 1t will be an easy matter to overcome
the pre1udlces concerning the allotment of
judges, and that thereafte- the establish
-ment or the court will be easy task. The
general opinion among the other delegates.
however. differs from that of Mr.. Choate.
They believe that the adoption of Sir
Edward Fry's proposal intrusting the gov
ernments with the task of finding system
by which to elect the judges was masked
method for burying the whole affair,
they declare. once the confe rence is ended,
tlon of Judges to a greater extent than
other questions at issue, such as the lmita-
ton of ornaments.
No Date for Another.
Even the proposition for future meet
Ing of the cOnfaraDca
mously adopted on Saturday. has been so
altered as to suppress it's most important
part namely, the periodicity of the meet
ings. merely providing for the calling of a
third conference, but establishing nothing
with regard to converting future confer
enceS
The prevailing opinion. as expressed by
one of the leading delegates. is that the
absence of results in the conference on
the great questions was due to the lack
OF preparation by all the countries repre-
scented. This. he said was especially strik-
ing in the case of the American delega-
ton, which was supposed to have come
here In complete accord with the Latin
American countries. This accord. however
neither existed nor had 1T been reached
during the conference.
Indeed. what is to be dreaded, he de-
clared. is that the chief result of the con-
ference will be growing feeling or diff
dence on the part of the South Americans
toward Washington as. rightly or wrongly
they accused the United States of having
neglected them and Of caring only for
working in accord with Great Britain and
Germany. thinking that union with these
great powers would be sufficient to carry
out any project while the facts proved to
the contrary, as in the case of the per-
manent court Of arbitration. which repre-
sents victory for Brazil over the COM
pact formed by America. Great Britain and
Germany.
Further Criticism.
1t Ia generally remarked that the United
States should have come to the confer
ence with the certainty Of having the
support of all the Latin-Amercan coun-
tries or should have abstained from pro-
posing projects that were destined to meet
with opposition perhaps exaggerated as In
the case of the allotment of Judges but
nevertheless invincble. Thus far the only
project which does not regulate war, but
tries to prevent it. and which was passed
by the n--rowest Of margins. was that con-
corning the forcible collection of con-
tractual debts.
The remainder Of the work will keep
the conference busy until the middle OF
October. 1t Is easy to foresee that the
only success will be attained by Germany
which prevented the adoption of projects to
which she is opposed, and by the small
states. which have proved that it Is I'M
possible to reach a world agreement with
out their support.
1t Is estimated that the conference has
cost altogether $1,3OO,0OO.