Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-07-27
PRIVATE PROPERTY
AMERICAN PROPOSITION IS
NOT FAV ORtD BY BRITISH
Hague Conference Discussion on
Rights Of Search and Seiz-
ure-Disarmament and
Alliance.

The Hague, July IA vote upon
the principle of the American PROPOSE
ton regarding the inviolability of prl-
vate property at sea was taken today
by the committee of the conference
dealing with the Geneva convention.
| Twenty-One delegates voted favorably,
eleven were against the measure, and
there was one absent. Great britain,
France, Russia, Japan, Spain and Por-
tugal were in opposition, while the
Triple Alliance, although Germany
made reservation, was among the
majority.
Belgium presented a compromise
proposal, but Joseph II. Choate of the
American delegation refused to accept
it, saying that, inasmuch as a major
ity admitted the principle of immunity,
he could not consent to the limitation
of this idea, especially as Great Britain
and Russia already had declared they
would not accept it in any form. This
made unanimity impossible.
The vote on this principle by coun-
tries was as follows: Germany, Aus
tria-Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, Tur-
key. Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Hol-
land. Belgium, Luxembourg, Cuba,
Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Hayti,
China, Siam and Persia voted with the
United States, Great Britain, France,
Russia, Spain, Portugal, Montenegro,
Japan, Mexico, Columbia, Salvador and
Panama voted against her. Chile alb
stained from voting.
! The population of the countries ia
voring the American proposition
amounts to S04,0OO,00O, that of the
countries against it 729,000,O0O people.
Professor de Martens said further that
the United States proposal did not
nave majority of population II China
was subtracted.
Several delegates proposed the dis
cussion of Intermediary propositions
made by Belgium, Holland and Brazil.
To this Mr.. Choate said eve carried
the vote with an enormous majority;
having had the whole, why should we
take half?"
Efforts are being made to bring
about an understanding with regard to
the British and German propositions
for supreme prize court through an
intermediary Italian suggestion which
provides for a permanent tribunal by
grouping the states according to their
tonnage and allowing them proper
tional rights in the appointment OF the
judges comprising the tribunal. This
court, it 49, suggested, should include
two Admirals to be appointed by the
belligerents, the Admirals to be pres
ent as advisors and not as judges.
Professor de Martens (Russia) who
presided at the meeting, called atten-
ton to the fact that although the
American proposition was supported
by a majority of the votes passed, tho
populations of the countries voting
against the principle was numerically
largely in excess of those favoring it.
Marcy Won Kapos Mere (Austria)
and Count Tornelli Qtaly) followed
the example Of Baron Won Bieberstein
Germany in their reference to tho
British proposition regarding the limi-
tation of ornaments, which is to be
presented by Sir Edward Fry at the
next plenary sittings of the confer
ence. This places Signor Tittoni, the
Italian Minister Of Foreign Affairs, in
a somewhat embarrassing position. He
is personally in favor of the British
proposal, but he cannot ignore the at
titude of his allies in the triple al
lance The United States and Spain
favor the English views on this mat
ter. Nelidoff, however, does not think
that Russia can support the idea OF
limiting ornaments at present, in view
of the condition today of her army and
navy as result of the sso-Japanese
war M. Bourgeois (France) personal
! ly favors limitation, but the French
Government regards this question as
academic and impracticable.