The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-05
THE POWERS CONFER
TO FRAME CODE OF LAWS FOR
 NAVAL WARFARE.
The Formafion of the International Prixe~ Court an Recommended by The Hasue Congress win Also
 Re Considered

1 London, Dec. 4.--The conference oi I the powers called by Great Britain fol the framing of a code of jaws for na.
 val warfare and for the formation oi
 the international prize court recon
 mended by the Hague congress. was
 opened at the foreign office today. With an interval for the Christmas holidays, 1t Is expected that the con- ference will continue until about Janu-
 ary 1. At the request of the British government, the powers which have accepted an invitation to the confer
 ence have forwarded lists of the sub-
 jects which they consider should be 1 discussed.
 The United States, Great Britain,
 France, Germany. Italy. Austria Hung ary, Russia. Spain. Holland and Japan
 will be represented. The American de-
 legates are Rear Admiral Charles H. stockton and Pro. George Grafton Wilson, of Brown University. Com
 tnander John H. Gibson, naval attache
 at the London embassy will act as
 aide. Great Britain will he represent
 ed by the earl of Desart and Captain
 Charles L. Ottley.
 An address of welcome was deliver
 ei by Foreign Secretary Sir Edward
 Grey.
 At the suggestion of Germany. the
 powers have submitted their views on
 various points.
 The United states. Great Britain and
 Japan are agreed in principle at least 1 on the more important proposals and ] they may be expected to work in &C.,
 cord with the probable support of France. There are wide. differences of opinion between these powers and the other countries represented, Great Bri- l tain stands alone in supporting the
 rights of a belligerent to search neu- | tral merchantmen proceeding to an ene- my's port under the escort of q warship flying the same flag. She claims the
 right of search under all circumstances while the other powers contend that the guarantee of neutral power should be sufficient to prevent it's vessels | ever, that Great Britain will concede | this In return for some point she con | siders more essential.
 l Great Britain Is desirous of abolish l ing contraband entirely; America and 1 Japan do not go so far but they I would agree if only munitions of war
 clear what is contraband.
 The continental powers will urge the continuation of the present sys-
 tenn under which tine belligsrents ds-
 clare what Is eontraband.
 CFeaC brttAinf AiueFleA anu Japan ! agree on the method of bIocAadinE,
 contending for the right to seine block
 ade runners at any time or place. This
 is opposed to the continental view that
 only warships actually engaged in blockading have the right to seize ves- I sells. These same three powers opposed | the continental contention that bellig- 1 erent has 6 right to destroy seized
 vessels before trial. as was done, for
 instance, by Russia with British | merchantmen during the late war.
 The conference will differ on the re- sponsibility of a neutral power for a ! ship leaving one of its ports as a merchantmen and which being trans formed into a man of war as In the case
 of the Alabama. The United States 1 naturally supports the view that the
 neutral power is responsible very strongly and strangely enough she finds support not only from France and Japan, but also from Great Bri- tain. The other powers represented | take the opposite view. The right of belllgerent ships to coal
 in neutral ports also has divided the l conference into two factions. Amert- ca, Great Britain, Japan and France
 contend that a ship should make but one visit to a neutral port and be given | only sufTiclent coal to carry her 70 home port; the other powers. however hold that a ship should be allowed to
 visit a neutral port and hH up wlth 1 coal as often as she can.
 A number of other questions large
 ly technical. also will be conHiiereo.