The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-17
MEXICO OBJECTS
 ID CONDITIONS Excitement Arises in the Hague
 Conference TERMS MUST BE EQUAL Suppression of Phrase In the Article for the Establishment of Per
 manent Court Causes
 the Trouble.
TERMS MUST BE EQUAL

The Hague, October 16.-The ninth ple- nary sitting of the peace conference opened today amidst considerable ex- ctement due to the attitude of the ma iorty of the LatinAmericansde delegates over the phrase which was suppressed In article 1 of the. project for the establish ment of a permanent international high court of justice The report on the pro- posed establishment of the court, as read by James B. Scott, explained that the suppression of the words setting forth that the court should be based on the judicial equality of the states was not included in the draft of the project sub- mitted to the examining committee, but was inserted by mistake in the report submitted to the committee on arbitra- tion The mistake was explained and when the delegates voted they were aware that the presence of the phrase was an error.
 Mir Scott insisted that 1t was futile to eXaggerate the incident because, If the court Is established, it must be based on judicial equality, the presence or the phrase making no difference. He ended i by saying that tue HllSldht, NiiiCh hS regretted could not change the situation, as all the allotment of judges and the ] constitution of the court having been suppressed the government were free in their decision to be taken on the subject
 Notwithstanding MT. Scotts explana- i tion Senor Esteva tMexico) said: Tn con- ! sequence of what can be called new l fact namely, the modification at the last l moment of Article 1, by the unexpected, c,efn of Q i given to the organization of the court, the l basis of the judicial equality of the ] states the Mexican delegation must re- peat the declaration made before the conl- mlttee as follows:
 The Mexican delegation thinks that a new and really permanent arbitration 1 court in order to command universal 1 sympathy and the confidence, must be en- l trely outside of political or national in- l nuence, either direct or indirect. This | court must be an organization essentially iuridicial representing all the countries, 1 large and small, strong and weak, that l assembled for the second peace confer ! ence on the basis of the most absolute l eouality The Mexican delegation does not consider that these capital conditions are embodied in the present project l Therefore, according to the instructions | from it's own government and In accord | ] cannot agree to 6 convention In which all the states convoked to the conference | are not considered on a basis of the most l absolute equality For these reasons the l delegation declares it does not accept the | nroieot for a convention regarding the l establishment of high court of justice
 presented by the delegations from the United States, Germany and Great BTU ain, and it will vote against II.
 a1I lad
 Now the Mexican delegation thinks | if necessary to state that it's note, which is favorable to the project, must l be understood to be so in the future negotiations which must be guided by the principles of equality of states Tor which this delegation struggled. rms is principle which must not be Vio- l lated but must be respected as the l basis of the election or judges anu lhe organization of the court.
 pr. Barbosa made the following l statement for Brazil:
 "We continue to vote in form Tor the project, but under the formal, ao- solute conditions that the government shall be conducted on the basis ana true to the principle or Jurioieai eq"ei- l ity of the states.
 | There were thirty eight votes in tn nroieet for the establishment of the permanent court Six couples, Belgium, 1 Denmark. Greece, Roumania, Switzer- land and Uruguay did not vote and the same reserve as made by Mexico ana Brazil was recorded by Greece, Colom- bia, Salvador, Persia Guatemala hayti' l Venezuela San Domingo, Paraguay, Panama. Ecuador, China, Bolivia and Nicaragua The report of Baron Guillaumo (Belgium) on the declara- tion of Count Torelli Utaly) regard ing obligatory arbitration was adopted unanimously with several reserves, ln- cluding the United States and Japan j David J. Hill (America) saying that the ' Tinted States would not depart rom her traditional policy of non-interfer- ence in the affairs of other states.
 The next subject taken up by the con ference was the proposal of Gen. Horace Porter. on the subject of the collection of contractural debts. The substance of the proposition is that in order to aVolo between nations armed conflicts of pure ly pecuniary origin, caused by contract nrai debts claimed by the subjects or residents of one country from the gov ernment of another'' and also to guaran- tee all contractural debts of this nature which are not settled in friendly man ner through diplomacy. shall be submitted to arbitration. It Is understood that measures shall not be taken until the creditor country offers arbitration or debtor country relusesa i, oi ie"'.S .
 offer unanswered, or until after the de- cision of the arbitrators is not fulfilled by the debtor country.
 The proposal was approved by 39 votes, | with five abstentions, Belgium, sweden, Roumania, Switzerland and Venezuela, l. American governments making reserva- tions. There was great applause in the conference when the head of the German delegation, Baron Marschal Von Bieber- stein offered resolution of thanks for the work of c. M. Bougeois France), president of the arbitration committee Of the conference personally, and also for the work which M. Bourgeois laid as president of the committee. The final ses- sion of the peace conference will take place on Saturday next.
 Town Almost Destroyed.
 1 1nnl. snn,uln Fla Ocfnher IS Eira