The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-09
NEUTRAL COUNTRIES
SHOULD NOT SUFFER
FOR ACTS OF WARNING
NATIONS, is CLAIM
Continued from Page onc)

Continued from Page Onc)
ents with respect to the interests of the
neutrals.
"A. That considerations of every char
acter call for definition of such rights
as promptly as possible upon the princi-
pie that liberty of commerce should not
be restricted beyond the point indisoen-
sable for military operations.
ON these grounds the governing board
of the Pan-Amercan union resolves:
T. A special commission of the same
| is hereby appointed to consist of nine
| members, of which the Secretary of State
of the United States shall form part, act
ing as chairman thereof. ex-officio
Y. This committee shall study the
problems presented by the present Euro
pean war and shall submit to the govern
| ing board the suggestions 1t may deem of
common interest. In the study of cues
tons of a technical character this com
mission will consult the board of jurists
.. Each government may submit to
the committee such plans or suggested
resolutions as may be deemed convenient
| on the different subjects that cireum-
stances suggest"
"On these grounds the governing
board of the Pan-American union agree
i. A special commission of the same
| 10 htiepy appointed TO consist or nine
members. of which the Secretary Of
| State of the United States shall form
part, acting as chairman thereof, ex
| officio
"2. This commission shall study the
| problems presented by the presen. Eu-
ropean war and shall submit to the
| governing board the suggestion it may
deem of common interest. In the study
| of questions of a technical chara ct r
| this commission will consult the board
/ of jurists.
| 80. Each government may submit to
/ the committee such plans or suggest
ed resolutions as may be deemed con-
venient on the different subjects that
| circumstances suggest
| The committee was Immediately APP
| pointed to consist of the Secretary of
| State of the United States, the ambas-
| sadors from Brazil, Chile, Argentina,
the ministers from Uruguay, Peru, Ec-
uador, Honduras and Cuba. The Sec
rotary of State of the United States as
chairman ex officio of the governing
| board of the Pan-American union pre-
| sided over the meeting. Seated to his
| right and his left were the ambassadors
of Brazil, Chile and Argentina and the
ministers of the 16 other republics.
| There was one vacant chair-that of
the ambassador from Mexico, the gov
| eminent of which country remains I'M
! recognized by the family of nations.
Setting Pan-American
The setting for the conference was
distinctly an-American. The flags of
the various republics adorned the walls
of the council chamber with it's not
able bronze frieze illustrating events
in the history OF the two Americas,
while in the adjacent patio with its
ferns and plants. four Brazilian par
rots of brilliant colored feathers
screeched Internationally.
The meeting was comparatively
brief, lasting less than two hours. but al
informal conferences held previous
ly plans for the session had been care
fully worked out by the diplomats
Secretary Bryan stated in general
way the problem which had been
brought to his attention by the rep
resentatives of some of the leading
South American countries. Speeches
followed by the ambassadors from
Brazil, Chile and Argentina the min
listers from Bolivia, Uruguay, Peru and
Cuba supplemented by brief remarks
from the other diplomats.
The amba ssador from Brazil, Dominic
Da Cana, pointed out that council sucf
J as the governing board of the Pan-Amer
lean union was necessarily political II
character, and suggested the advisabilit,
of cooperating with the boards of jurist:
appointed by the last Pan-American con
ference to codify international law. On'
of these boards. which meets in Wash
ington. is headed by John Bassett Moore
Eduardo Suarez Mujica, the Chilean am
bassador, said the questions that hat
arisen demanded prompt settlement ant
that the commission should not regard it.
task as academic, but practical. He re
marked that it should propose steps t
lrelieve the intoerable conditions during
the present war. and not some remote
conflict
Naon Speaks
4 Ambassador Naon of Argentina made
the longest speech of the meeting, sub
hitting the proposal for commission
which was adopted.
"The various equally we'll founded ane
just initiatives taken by several Ameri
can governments as we'll as the contin
uous and vigorous propaganda of thu
press from one end of the continent tt
the other show to what extent the non
recognition or n-def1nition of the right:
of the neutrals constitutes for America
the most absorbing and intense problem
of the present moment
!. '.Face to face with the rights of the
belligerents we now have the rights o.
the neutrals; the rights of those coun
tries which, though compelled to halt. a.
an unfortunate moment, in their onward
progress. to permit the rancor and hate
of the conflicting interests engendered
by the war to vent their satisfaction
bitter though it be, as recognition OF
the control which every country exer.
cises over its destinies cannot allow theii
sovereignty to be encroached upon. un.
mindful of the right and imperative duty
we have to protect and defend It,"
i The Peruvian minister submitted a
memorandum, which was referred to the
new commission. declaring that his gov.
eminent believed the time had come fol
joint action of all the American republics
to guarantee the inviolability of thei,
commercial routes from the hostile ac-
tivities of the belligerent navies. The
memorandum suggested the adoption Of
a resolution declaring that America could
not admit its commerce within the mari
time area belonging to the two conti-
nents as subject to the contingencies OF
the present war. A line equidistant from