Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-20
NJ. Nelidoff, Russian Am.
bassador to France Calls
the Meeting to Order
Roosevclt's N ame
is Cheered
JAPANESE QUESTION
WILL NOT COME UP

Considered - Disarma-
ment to be the Lead.
ing I opic
The Hague, June 15.-M. Nelidoff
opened the peace conference today by
affirming that universal peace and dis
armament were unattainabIe; that the
deliberate utterances of Russian
statesmen although pessisristic to an
extent referred to were hopeful.
Later he said he believed that bet.
ter methods for judicial adjustment Of
disputes were possible, even though
all conflicts between nations were no
more avoldable than conflicts between
individuals.
NeIidoff greatly pleased the Ameri-
can delegates by the high tribute
which he paid to President Roosevelt
and Andrew Carnegie, not mentioning
any other countries or rulers.
Japan viii Not Recall Differences.
nc k16SOCldL0u II0SS 10 AuLlOllLS0
to state that the Japanese delegation
to the conference has no intention of
raising any question relating to social
ed differences between the United
States and Japan. All the reports to
the contrary are pronounced NONSENSE
CAL
AppIauds Roosevelt's Name.
References to President Roosevelt
in the speeches by DR.. Van Tets and
Van Goudrain, the Netherlands foreign
minister at Nelidoff, was greeted with
rounds of applause. The ceremony
lasted twenty minutes when the con-
ferences adjourned until Wednesday.
toy
The Hague. June 15.-The Second In
ternational Peace Conference, the call
for which was issued by President
Roosevelt on October 81, 1904, in re-
Spouse to the universal desire of the
thinking people of the world that the
Influence Of the first congress held
here in 1899 might be strengthened and
extended for the general peace. was
formally opened this afternoon. During
the next four weeks or more the at
tention Of the world will be conferred
In this gathering of Representatives of
forty-six nations, the Areopagus Of the
civilized powers, assembled to consid.
er the possibility Of minimizing the
dangers Of war incident to the rapid
growth of naval and military arma.
ments.
The opening function took place in
Knights hall, which forms a part OF
The Binnenhof, a medieval pile Of
buildings in the heart of the city, sur.
rounding the palace built for Count
William II of Holland in the middle OF
the thirteenth century. The initial
session was given over entirely to the
exchange Of greetings and the work OF
p1 elimfnary organization. M. Nelidoff
the Russian ambassador to France
called the conference to order and
made an address extending his sover.
eign's greetings to the delegates. Dr.
Jonkheer, d. A. Y. van Tets van Cloud.
rain, the Dutch minister of foreign af-
fairs, replied in an address Of welcome
On behalf of Queen Wilhelmina. The
conference then proceeded with the
appointment of committees to consider
the various subjects inscribed upon
the program.
Topics to be Discussed.
With the appointment of these com
mittees it becomes thus of interest
to note the topics suggested for discus
sion. They are as follows:
Provisions relative to the peaceful
settlement Of international disputes by
court of arbitration and international
commissions of inquiry
Additions to be made to the pro.
visions relative to the laws and GUS
toms Of war on land; concerning the
opening of hostilities, the rights OF
neutrals on land, etc
Framing convention relative to
the laws of and customs of maritime
warfare, concerning:
Special operations of maritime war.
fare, such as bombardment Of ports
cities and villages by naval force,
the laying of mines and torpedoes,
etc.
The transformation of merchant
vessels into warships.
"The protection of private property
Of belligerents at sea.
'"The length of time to be granted
merchant ships for their departure
from ports of neutrals or of the enemy
after the opening of hostilities.
"The rights and duties Of neutrals
at sea, among others, the question OF
contraband, the rules applicable to bel.
ligerent vessels In neutral ports, des-
truction in cases Of Wis major, of neu.
trail merchant vessels captured as
prizes.
Additions to be made to the con-
vention Of 1899 for the adaptation TO
maritime warfare of the principles of
the Geneva Red Cross convention of
1864
The government Of the lInitel
States has reserved to itself the liberty
of submitting to the second conference
two additional questions, viz, the re-
auction of limitation Of armament and
the attainment of an agreement to OBJ
serve some limitations upon the use
Of force for the collection of ordinary
public debts arising out OF contracts.
The Spanish government has ak