The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-07
HAGUE DEADLOCK CERTAIN
GREAT POWERS CAN'T AGREE on
NEW RULES OF WAR.
They Are the Only Matters Seriously Dis
cusSed at Peace Conference.-The Hope
for American Proposal 10 Exempt
Property At Sea From seizure.

wv ~ tt VII ss'Nth WIZ
cussed AZ Peace conference.-the Hope
for American Proposal 10 Exempt
Property At Sea From Seizure.
Special Cable Despatch 10 TEE SUN.
The HAGUE. July elf the Peace Con-
ference should sit for a full year il would
not be possible to discuss adequately.
much less decide. all the proposals for
sweeping changes OF the rules Of warfare
now before it's various committees. IL
Is these questions and not the problem of
the prevention of wal which have absorbed
the attention Of the delegates.
They are 40 complex. 80 transcendentally
important TO the principal Powers that II
is already becoming evident that little
will result from the mass OF arguments
and conflicting interests which are being
developed. The present confusion will
lead TO n deadlock. as similar circumsta noes
did in the last conference. The leaders
will say TO each other:
We'll, what can we do to prove that
our labors have not been entirely abortive?"
Already much pressure In being brough
to bear from certain sources. The London
Times correspondent describes the members
OF tho conference as cosmopolitan swellcd
heads who conceive that friendship for
every country but their own il proof Of
superior enlightenment and moral reCtitude.
timid or astute persons who always seek
refuge in half measures. irrespective Of the
import of the measures they ore asked to
halve. and honest fanatics who believe
that IL only the conference would decree
a millennium the millennium would begin"
II may safely be assumed that the Tim es
is right when il says England must not be
trapped or surprised or o~verpersuaded into
conventions which would strike the point
from her trident" The attitude of her
delegates already makes II clear that there
will be no agreement here or any radical
departure from the present rules Of war.
Sir Ernest Satow, one of the British dele
gates, put the thing in a nutshell when he
sal 1 this week that the movement "in favor
Of the ideal Of the abolition Of war is not
sufficiently developed TO allow us TO accept
the doctrine of the immunity of private
property at sea" Tina decla ration Ia a
clear indication Of the British position and
France and Russia largely share it.
The American proposal Of the inviola-
bility Of private property at sea has there
fore no chance of adoption at the present
conference. The A merican delegates never
had any illusions on the subject. and their
real object. which was to AVE the point
thoroughly discussed, is fully achieved.
The discussions which are now taking place
are Of the graves academic importance,
but practical points on which the conference
may be able to reach an agreement have
not yet been touched.
These, of course, are OF comparatively
minor interest, and it remains TO be seen
h.u, l~nx I. vy,n ha hafnrn tho oppTprppca
comes down TO real business. Mr.. Choate
Of the American delegation when he arrived
thought that the deliberations might be
finished in a month or 40. Now he is won-
dering whether he will live long enough to
see his native land once more.
The Hague correspondent of the Oserrer
tcIegraphs that as Friday was the Last day
for entering proposals for compulsory arti-
tration involving disarmament. the dele
gates Of England. France and Russia are
reported TO have conferred regarding the
formation of an international committee to
deal with the question and formulate a
scheme to be introduces as an exceptional
proposal or AZ an amendment.
The representative OF Uruguay spTang
upon the conference yesterday a ltopian
scneme for compulsory arbitration. He
suggested that when ten nations. FIVE Of
them having Or goo. On inhabitants, shall
agree to refer their differences to arbitra-
ton they shall form a bond to interpose
betu cen any hellicose outside nations and
shall also form "A court for the compulsory
arbitration of International disputes. h
date when this may be discussed is I'M
certain, but it il supposed that it will form
the peg On which to hang ~isarname
proposals, thou Oh there is small prospect
If any sich finding acceptance among
the mn iority.