Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-02-15
OPEN IMPASSE
is FORESEEN IN
HAVANA PARLEY

HAVANA, Feb. IA QP-Frank admis-
sion thet problems confront the six
American conference which are
beyond its powers to settle was open
ly made today by some of the most
influential delegates Therefore, they
contcnded, it was useless to continue
indefinitely to discuss them.
All the delegates, with the excep-
ton of Argentina and Colombia voted
TO maintain the date fixed for the
closing of the conference, Feb 20,
although the committee on public in
ternational law is hardly half way
through it's agenda. They took this
stand when a suggestion was made
before the committee by Jesus Yepes,
Colombia, that the conference be pro-
longed for o week beyond that date
Opposition to prolongment OF the
conference was explained by the Bra
zilian and Peruvian delegates as pc
ing determined by the convlctlon
that it was an ''illusion' to hope Tor
concrete results from debates on SUB.
iects where not the slightest suspicion
Of an agreement had been as YET
displayed by the delegates aIGnouslr e4ga
If was not mentioned the delegates
understood that the reference was W
the discussions in the sup-coLnnlCCee
on the definition OF natlonal nut
pendence with the allied quesnon Oh
intervention of. one state IN the III
ternal affairs of anothers
What is considered an actual deao-
lock he's already been reached On inns
question between Argentina and sal
vador. which are insistent that all IN
tervention, no matter OF what nature
shall be prohibited, and the otner
countries led by the United States,
which favors a formula emphasizing
respect for the rights OF other ma
tions as a prerequisite to the 1nde-
I lpendence OF any state.
Charles Evans Hughes, head OF the
American delegation has arranged to
leave Havana by steamer on Feb. %,
for New York. The date for the oe-
parture of the other delegates for
the United States mas not yet been
decided.
In the end it was determined that
the conference should continue until
next Monday, when questions, the
consideration of which had not yet
been completed, would be referred to
some future conference.
The delegates saw in this procedure
the only way to preevnt the dis
agreement regarding the intervention
issue from emerging from the SUD-
committee, where it is now being
studied behind closed doors, to the
full committee, or even the plenary
session Of the conference, with scenes
similar to those in the committee
session when the matter Of inter-
vention was first brought up.
The meeting of the SUBJ committee,
at which it was intended to discuss
this question this afternoon, was post
poned again until tomorrow, pre-
sumably to allow the holding of a
session of the full committee today.
it is thought nj some quarters that
/ the intervention issue may never get
beyond the sub committee and that
the project in which it is contained
will figure in the unfinished business
OF the conference.
Having decided that all matters not
settled by Monday must wait for
future consideration, the committee
set to work in an effort to see that
the treaty defining the rights and
duties and maritime neutrality should
figure among the ccompiShmentS
of the sixth Pan American conference.
The project prepared by the RiG
Janeiro juriStS was amended some
what by the b-committee, based
upon the double conception that neu-
tral commerce should be disturbed
as little as possible during war and
that neutrals have rights which bel
ligerents should observe, instead OF
the latter always regulating the ac&
tivities of the former. The committee
took up this project and approved
more than half the articles.
The committee, however, soon be-
came entangled in a debate which
Alexandra Alvarez, of Chile, the orig
inai author of the project, described
es without solution" regarding what
constituted contraband of war which
a belligerent could seize from neutral
ships stopped on the high seas
This question, which so vexed re-
lations between neutrals and bellig-
erents during the world war, was
finally left only partly solved, by
declaring that belIigerents could search
ships for merchandise prohibited by
international law"
The Same article specifies that neu-
tre,~ merchantmen never could be at
tackled unless they failed to stop when
hailed by a belligerent.
The committee agreed to the IN
clusion of armed merchantment
among the vessels which should be
considered as warshipS. ..s asr.
The American delegates pointed
out that this proposal was revolution
ary and absolutely contrary to actual
maritime practice, and that therefore
it could not be Included i'll project
which was designed to codify univer-
sally recognized law. s%t
1t is expected thet this amend
ment. which was approved by vote
of IL to 4, will IN the future be OPP
posed by the United States.
An article approved today definite
" prohibits the sinking OF merchant
men unless all the" crew and pasSen-
gers are removed BelligerentS 1ur-
ther are forbidden to operate in neu-
IL