Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-07-25
ARMAMENT SCHEME
GREAT BRITAIN BELIEVES
EXPENSE LIMIT REACHED
Doings Of the Peace Conference
General Porter Discusses
Collection Of
Debts.

The Hague, July 16.-Nelidof. presi-
dent of the conference, today verbally
communicated to the leading delegates
the proposition for the limitation of
ornaments presented to him by Sir
Edward Fry, head of the British dele
cation, who as yet has not discussed it
with the other delegates.
The text of the proposition cannot be
obtained for publication, but it sets
forth substantially that the burden of
ornaments having greatly increased,
the conference considers that the ques-
ton of their limitation has now as
sumed an urgent character
When Nelidoff communicated this
proposition to Baron Marschall Won
Bieberstein, head of the German dele
cation, the latter said he would be I'M
able to give an answer as to Germany's
attitude until he had communicated
with Berlin.
| The arbitration subcommittee Of
the first committee today discussed the
American proposition for the collec-
ton of contractural debts. Bourgeois
(France) presided and the discussion
was of the most satisfactory nature.
rhe general impression Is that even
those Latin-American countries that
oppose coercive measures of any kind,
while making a declaration to this eff
feet, will end by supporting the United
States. General Horace Porter spoke
in French for half an hour, explaining
that the American proposition refers
solely to contractural debts and does
not cover cases of injury to resident
aliens caused by unjust Imprisonment
mob violence, confiscation of property
and conditions of like nature, on ac-
count of which indemnity might be de-
manded.
Continuing, he pointed out the posi-
tility of a Spectator making a ven
ture abroad with the sole object Of
increasing his private fortune, ant
later demanding that his country &c
to war to recover claims by which The
country in no way benefits. The tax
payers of the coercing country, he
said, must bear the expense of enrich
ing the speculator.
Statistics of the last sixty years
show that in the case of thirteen large
claims for damages, unpaid debts, etc.
, the largest sum allowed was only 81
per cent of the claim, while in some
cases it fell to the ridiculous amount o
ga per cent. These examples, he said
, should deter forever civilized nation
. from resorting to force for the collec
ton of debts not previously adJudi
. GATED by an impartial tribunal
y General Porter contended tina
V neither the prestige nor the honor 9
: a country could be considered at stalk
: in its refusal to submit to such coel
s cion. He cited the opinions of states
: men, diplomats and jurists to prov
: that the state owes no such duty to II
r citizens.
6 A policy of non-intervention, he sale
: would be of incalculable benefit to a
: the parties concerned: Firstly, to tn
r creditor nation as warning agains
q that class of persons too apt to trad
n upon the necessity of feeble or en-
narrassed governments; secondly,
r neutral nations whose commert
n would not be interrupted; thirdly,
n the debtor state, as it would be al
e nounced to money lenders that the
d must base their operations solely 9
IF the considerations of business.