The sun., 1907-08-18
LIMITING BUDGETS OF WAR
HAGVE CONFERENCE VOTES FOR
SlCH A HOPE.


ference closed its fourth plenary session
IN two months to-day with the unanimous
Adoption Of the following resolution:
The conference confirms the resolution
adopted 10y the conference Of 1890 in regard
~ the limitation Of military expenditure.
whrh has considerably increased in nearly
every country since that year The con-
fS'sht,e ,eNc,,nTsrr rIrr~> nTe1ns" "desfabfe
that the governments represented should
rsume the serious study of this question"
In order to obtain unanimous acceptance
the British Governments long promised
acton had TO be reduced TO an expression
" this modest hope yet the calmer heads
among the delegates were fully content
that the subject passed successfully
through the assembly rs it did.
The resolution obtained the support
Of America in the following letter from MIR.
Of the conference:
In the course OF negotiations preceding
the present conference the American Gov
ernment thought il TO be its duty to reserve
the opportunity TO raise here the important
question of the limitation of ornaments
in tse hope that il would advance the reali
Zation cf the elevated conception which
inspired the Emperor of Russia in his first
appeal. Ragretting that no progress in
the direction indicated by his imperial
Majesty has been made till this moment,
We are happy 90 think that there is no in
tenton on the part Of the nations to abandon
this effort, and we ssk to be allowed to
express our sympathy for the hope ex-
pressed by the British delegation and sup
port their proposal.
France and Spain having supported the
proposition, a letter was read from the
Argentine and Chilean delegations sup
porting the resolution and recalling the
fact that they are the only Powers who
hy a mutual convention restricted their
increase Of ornaments
Sir Edward Fry. the head of the British
delegation, in a speech proposing the reso-
luton pointed out that the expenditure
of European countries and the United
States. excluding Turkey and Montenegro.
for armies and navies had increased from
25i,OoOOO0 pounds sterling in 1890 TO 320.-
10000 pounds sterling in 1905. Lamenting
this fact, he said
such is Christian peace in the civilized
world in the twentieth century
Sir Edward then announced that the
British Government authorized the follow
mg declaration:
The Government of Great Britain would
he prepared annually to communicate to
the Powers who would do the same the
programme for the construction OF new
vessels OF war and the expenditure entailed
in that programme. This exchange OF
information would facilitate an exchange
II views between the Governments as to
reductions which might be efe cted by
mutual agreement The British Govern
ment believes that in this way an under
standing might be reached as to the ex-
penditure which States who agree to follow
this course would be justified in providing
for in their budgets"
TO satisfy the general curiosity OF the
telegates and couple OF hundred men and
women in the reserve gallery change was
made in the seating arrangements OF the
conference for the session. President Neli-
dof 3 tribune, which was formerly at the
end Of the oblong hall, stood in the middle.
the longer side making him audible to most
cfthose present and the successive speakers,
who formerly spoke from their own seats.
now had a reading desk furnished them
With a sounding board near the presidents
seat 1t was from this desk that the dig
nuicd and venerable Sir Edward Fry re-
cited to the conference the message fur
nished him by the British Government. His
tale Of the grievous financial burdens and
The moral and physical strain on millions OF
people and the incessant growth Of these
burdens was listened to in silence. which
was interrupted only at it's conclusion by
generous outbursts of applause.
President Nelidof then read Mr.. Choate's
letter and when the other supporters of the
proposal had finished he arose to conclude,
or IA the pacific extremists aver, to bury
the subject. On behalf OF the conference
he maintained that the search for means to
limit armaments was the principal motive
for the Cars summoning the first confer
ence. lie was now unhappily driven to the
conclusion that the question was not ripe,
and thus unanimity could be obtained only
for resolution such as Sir Edward Fry's.
Since the attempt to solve the problem
ct the first conference the champions of
peace had been surprised by events in
China, the war in the Transvaal and the
colossal struggle in the extreme Orient,
which had only now peen concluded by
Count Nelidoff said. had driven the Russian
Government TO the belief that it could
not bring its first proposal into the
programme of the second conference.
Ioraise definite discussion on this point
would only accentuate the existing discords
among the Powers. -
Nevertheless. he said. there were grow
ing units among the peoples in the direction
ofthe Limitation OF ofarmaments which might
some day be realized. Therefore he well
coined a resolution framed to obtain that
lnanlmlty which would alone insure sue
Cess
The resolution was then adopted amid
good salvo Of hand clapping, especially
from the Chinese delegates and those from
some Of the younger republics.
throughout all the utterances on the
subject Baron Won Bieberstein, at the head
OF the German delegation. gazed thought
nuiy n the lofty old oak roof. and MIR.
Imzutl, the head OF the Japanese dele
ation rxed his eyes on his green baize
" ~ Ia