Show THE THE T HE DREAM OF PEACE Because of ot the limitations on tele telegraphic graphic g service serice the deliberations of or orTh The Th T hO Hague Hage peace conference have pro proceeded pro cee c with wih very ver little Ute attention from rom romo outside o and with wih no general generl knowl knowledge edge dge e as to the stage it I has reached or orthe orthe the he t questions under consideration In the early ealy days questions affecting such uch s matters mater as a collection of ot debts by armed a force fore the rights of ot private debt debtors debtors ors o rs in alien alen countries and other com corn commercial commercial mercial problems Involved In the pro pr grm g ram were disposed of Now the later and a nd larger lager proposals affecting maritime war are up and a wide divergence of opinion pinion o Is divulged According to Syd Sydney Sydney ney n ey Brooks Broks the very yer able correspond correspondent ent e nt of ot Harpers Weekly Great Gret Britain proposed to forbid the use of ot floating mines in naval warfare except when the he t mines are so constructed as a to be become come automatically useless and Ineffective f when separated from their moor moorIngs moorIngs Ings l During the te war 50 of ot these mines became bee and ad drifted into the te channels chanels of Asiatic trade trae destroying more than thirty merchant vessels after the conclusion of ot peace Germany Germay not only objects object to the prohibition of the floating or sub submarine submarine marine mine but would sanction their use in the actual and prospective the theatre theatre atre of war wa which means mens about any anywhere ay anywhere where the belligerent may y choose chos to place them In the discussion of ot contraband the Americans proposed to exempt all al private pr private vate property from seizure at sea sea ex except except except contraband of ot war but England France Russia and Japan ap an voted against It It England Englad maintains that to call cl merchant vessels private property Is to minimize their true significance that they are really realy as much a part of a system of ot transportation as asare asare are the railways s off od land that their seizure by dislocating industry and ad raising prices brings a severe economic pressure to bear upon the enemy that the right of ot capture does not inflict a direct loss on the owners owners as they are fully insured nor on n the insurers insurer as they are ae In of war premiums but but on the whole hole commerce of ot the na nation naton nation tion ton and ad that it should therefore be maintained At the same sae time the British dele delegates delegat gates gat s propose to abolish utterly contra contraband contraband band of ot war and to abandon ab the right of ot search sech on which England hitherto has ha always most strongly insisted Ins sted The Americans on the other hand while making private property immune hav had suggested definitions of contraband of so 5 wide a scope cope as asto to giVe gie ge the very Ye greatest latitude for search seah and confiscation cation The British proposal safe safeguards safeguards guards gads the te rights and ad interests of ot neu neutrals neutrals and a planes places the burden buren of ot war upon the t belligerents The rhe he American proposal spares paes the belligerents and ad ha harasses rasu vary every neutral Aa in most mast mst diplomatic procedure the thi coe has ha developed a strategic play of ot forces foes in which the nations con ferring ten seek sek Individual advantage I Great Britain Brt n with w th her vast Vas t merchant merCha t marine martno mB and ad powerful navy nav would by of the te right of ot search e w l she s e waa a neutral neut her ships would carry c the bulk I of ot the contraband material anyway aya and if I she were one of ot the belligerents her merchant ships would be at her het own disposal If I the right of ot contra contraband contraband band seizure is retained by all al nations her merchant navy would be the first frt point of attack from hostile hostle nations and their protection would require a large lage l arge detachment of ot cruisers and war vessels Ultimately it I seems sees reasonable to suppose that private property afloat will have the same sm exemption from confiscation that private property ashore has ha in time of ot war war but Just now the te selfish interests of ot the continental powers power block progress in that direction So far these selfish Interests and the indifference of the public have minim minimized minimized zed I the effectiveness of ot the conference and ad made its It results seem ludicrously inadequate After long preparation and much palaver none but minor pro proposals pr proposals have been adopted while the Im Important Important important questions have havo gone into the limbo of ot an a international deadlock Universal disarmament and ad the mil ml still stI linger in the far fa distance while the te work of building more and greater gater warships goes on apace |