The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-07-01
DELEGATES
PRIVATELY EX.
CHANGE Views
InviOlability of Private Property at
Sea Opposed by Countries With
No Merchant Marine.

THE HAGUE, June 3O.-Profiting
by the holiday, the leading plenipo-
tentiaries met privately today to eX
change views on the present question
before the peace conference. Joseph
H. Choate and General Horace Por-
ter conversed at length with Sir
Edward Fry and Sir Ernest Satow,
of the British delegation, Prof. De
Martens of Russia, Count Tornelli of
italy, and Hr. Kriger of Germany,
while VIM. L. Buchanan, who was
the chairman of the American dele
cation which attended the Pan
American congress, discussed affairs
with several of the South American
delegates.
Some opposition seems to be rails
ed against the proposition of the in
violibility of private property at sea
by several Latin-American countries,
which, having no merchant marine,
think that the abolition of the right
of capture and of privateering will
deprive them of weapon dreaded
by their enemies. The whole triple
alliance, however, strongly supports
this proposition. Indeed, among the
numerous secret documents distri
buted today in sealed envelopes to
the delegates, are definite declara-
tions to that effect
The Austrian delegation issued the
following declaration:
''The inviolability of private prop
erty at sea, having been the object
of many serious works and judicial
studies. is now SO generally acknowl-
edged, that a new discussion of this
principle is merely a recapitulation,
more or less identical with those ut
tered many times by the most COM
petent and erudite scholars. Aus
tria, taking into account private in
terests and the essentially humani-
tartan object of this principle, advo-
waited it long ago. 1t therefore wish
es to state that 1t will follow the
most liberal point of view regarding
the capture and the confiscation of
merchantmen.
Italy makes the following state
ment:
Italy being among the signatory
powers of the declaration of Paris,
March 80, 1855, regarding the aboli-
ton of privateering, strongly ad-
heres to the doctrine so strenuously
supported by the United States. In
the conference of 1899, Italy stated
her position, but as the present con-
ference might not be in a position to
make a decision completely favorable
to the inviolability of private prop
erty at sea, the Italian delegation
expresses it's desire that the middle
course propositions be presented and
discussed.S
Baron Machall Won Bieberstein,
haed of the German delegation, stat
ed to the Associated Press that Ger
manys attitude in this matter was
entirely favorable.
The. other American proposition,
the collection of pecuniary debts
without the employment of force, is
gaining in favor 1t will be dis
cussed on Tuesday General Porter
will explain it's true scope, but it is
understood that some amendments
will be presented.
The American delegation, among
various suggestions to strengthen the
court of arbitration at The Hague,
is credited with the intention of pro-
crossing a larger arbitrary board.
The idea that the peace conference
be held at fixed periods, find opposi-
leading powers, who are of the opin-
ion that it will be impossible to pre-
arrange the meetings of the confer
ence, which would be unable to as
semble and work profitably under
certain circumstances, as, for in
stance, during war.
From the documents which were
distributed today, 1t appears that the
powers are determined to take the
opportunity of settling the question
of the transformation of merchant
men into warships. in order to avoid
a repetition of incidents such as that
of the seizure of the s. s. Mailicca by
the Russians in the Russo-Japanese
war, which resulted solely from want
of an international treaty.
The Russians. evidently remember