The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-27
U. S. ASKED TO HELP FIND THE SOLUTION
 OF lPAN-AMERICAN
 TRADE PROBLEMS
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 Into Central and South American ports te coal if the United States approves the pro- posal
 While many diplomats believe restric tion of coaling privileges alone would not be effective in keeping beliigerent war England with her sea power looked with favor on measures that would assist tho South American countries in preserving their neutrality and restoring their trade has been a source of much encourage. mont to diplomatists here.
 Movement Formative The entire movement is as yet in form. ative state, and depends largely for it. progress on the attitude of the United States toward it. Those in a position tc know the preliminary opinions expressed | by high officials of the American govern ment In early stages of the negotiation. learned that the United States was par
 ucularly anxious to take no step whicl | might impair it's influence with any of tn, beliigerents fin the eventual settlement O ] the European war. South American dip lomRts, realizing this, have sought to flnt , some common ground on which to act gt that tangible and practicable results wi be obtained without embarrassing the neu trals in their relations with the belliger ents.
 The position of the South America, l countries as voiced by representative. here, Is one of earnest and serious of. fort to assert their rights as neutrals Their trade has suffered and .hey fee I they are the innocent victims of con | flict which they could not have prevented With the very economic life of the Souti TT a n no f1Apr- . |. ture or trade connections with Europe the Latin countries are looking to the United States for capital to promote do l mestic enterprises and they believe in. development of their industries by for. eign interests will not come until Pan
 American trade has been given protec l ton.
 The idea that neutral zones may bs established within which ships of all na tions may move unmoiested is an exten sion of the old principle of internationa law which fixed three miles as the ter> 1 torial limit of a nation. This distanc, was agreed on because 1t was the range
 or guns in use when the principle wa. established. Since then the range of gun. mas extended to more than 20 miles ant the wireless has introduced new mean n, of controversy over breaches of neutral ny Ihe countries which favor the estab hsnment Of neutral zone argue that a, extension of territorial waters to loo a, even 70 miles from the coast is an in
 herent right of sovereign nation.
 Coaling Proposition
 The proposal to deny coal to war
 ships, some South American diplomats
 think,i would hardly be adeuuate. a, much more difficulty is being exper. i.nced in preventing merchant ships rom coaling men of war at sea. Tn, loea, also, Of giving a warship only enough coal to reach port of tho naarest foreign country would not Sc.
 riously affect the ability of the bel. ngerents to coal their vessels. Already Coiombia, which was not signatory tc ine Hague convention, has ordered that instead Of giving a vessel enough coal to reach the nearest home port, sup. plies be sold to enable them to make only the port of an adjacent country l This, however, has resulted from the desire of Colombia to restrict the ex. rortation of coal of which she has onl, a limited production
 1 The calling of conferences through the governing board of the Pan-Amer ican union has been widely discussed les an instrument for joint action by the nations of the two continents and If decided upon probably will be held In INyashingtoil
 While high government officials would not discuss tonight any of the various suggestions that had been of fered. saying they were all under con siCeration, there were intimations iy scrs-> quarters that out of the numerous proposals some plan for the restoration Of trade between the two American would be evolved by the American government in cooperation with ths | South American countrieD