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Show T f NEUTRALS President Urges Hague Conference. Circular Note by Secretary Hay Sent to Signatory Powers. Virtually Indorses General System, of Arbitration Treaties in. Interest Inter-est of Peace. WASHINGTON, Oct. 30. In a circular note Secretary Hay has carried out the President's Instructions relatlvo to proposing pro-posing a second Hnguo conference. Tho noto not only contemplntcs tho reossem-bllng reossem-bllng of Tho llaguo confcrcnco for the consideration of questions specifically mentioned by tho original conference as demanding further attention, such as tho rights and duties of neutrals, the Inviolability Inviola-bility of prlvato property In naval warfare and tho bombardment of ports by naval force, but goes further by virtually Indorsing Indors-ing tho project of a goneral system of arbitration ar-bitration treaties and the establishment of an International congress to meet periodically periodi-cally In the Interests of peace. Tho Issue of tho call whllo tho prcsont war Is In progress Is Justified by tho fact that tho flrst Hague conforenco was called heforo our treaty of peace with Spain was concluded. The text of tho noto follows: Marked an. Epoch in History. "Department of State, Washington, D. C, October 21. 1001. To tho Representatives Representa-tives of United Stales accredited to tho Governments signatories to tho acts of The Haguo confcrcnco, 1809: "Sir: Tho penco confcrcnco which assembled as-sembled at The Hague on May IS, 1S00, marked an epoch In tho history of nations. na-tions. Called by his Majestoy tho Emperor Empe-ror of Russia, to discuss tho problems of tho malntcnnnco of genernl peace, tho regulation of tho operations of war and tho lessening of tho burdons which preparedness pre-paredness for eventual war entails upon modern peoples, Its labors resulted In tho acceptance by tho signatory powers of convention for the , peaceful adjustment of International difficulties by arbitration, and for certain humane amendments to tho laws and customs of war by land and sea. "A great work was thus accomplished by tho conference, whllo othor phases of the general subject were left to discussion by another conference In tho near future, such as questions affecting the rights and duties of neutrals, the Inviolability of private pri-vate property In naval warfare and tho bombardment of ports, towns and villages vil-lages by a naval force. Indication, of Assured Peace. "Among tho movemonts which prepared tho minds of Governments for an accord In tho direction of assured peaco among men. a high place may llttlngly bo given to that set on foot by tho Interparliamentary Interparliamen-tary union. From Its origin In tho suggestions sug-gestions of a member of tho British House of Commons. In 1SSS, It developed until Its membership Included largo numbers of delegates from tho parliaments of the principal nations, pledged to exert their Influence toward tho conclusion of treaties of arbitration between nations and toward the accomplishment of pence. "Its annual conferences havo notably advanced the high purposes It sought to realize. Not only havo many International treaties of arbitration been concluded, but In tho conforenco held In Holland, In 1KM. tho memorable declaration in favor of a pcrmanont court of arbitration was a forerunner of tho most important achievement achieve-ment of tho peaco conference of The Hatruo in ISM. "Tho annuaJ conforenco of the Interparliamentary Interpar-liamentary union was held this year at St Louis, In appropriate connection with tho World's fair Its deliberations were marked by tho samo noble devotion to the causo of peaco and to tho welfare of humanity hu-manity which had Inspired Its former meetings. Favor of Arbitration. "By tho unanimous voto of delegates, active or retired members of the American Ameri-can Congress, and of every parliament In Europo with two exceptions, tho following follow-ing resolution was adopted: I " 'Whereas, LnUgnteneu public opinion and modern civilization alike demand that differences between nations should bo adjudicated ad-judicated and settled in tho samo manner as disputes between individuals aro adjudicated, ad-judicated, namely, by tho arbitrament of courts In accoruanco with recognized principles bf law, this conforenco requests tho several Governments of tho world to sond delegates to an international conference con-ference to bo held at a tlmo and place to be agreed upon by them, for tho purposo of considering: " 'First Questions, for tho consideration considera-tion of which Tho Hague conferenco expressed ex-pressed a wish that a future conferonco bo called. " 'Second The negotiation of arbitration arbitra-tion treaties between tho nations represented repre-sented at the conferenco to be convened. " 'Third Tho advisability of establishing establish-ing an International congress to convono periodically for tho discussion of International Interna-tional questions. " 'And tho conferenco respectfully and cordially requests the President of tho United States to Invite all tho nations to send representatives, to such 11 conferenco.' confer-enco.' Accepted the Charge. "On September 24. ultimo, theso resolutions resolu-tions woro presented to the President bv a numerous deputation of tho Interparliamentary Interparlia-mentary union. Tho President accepted tho charge offered to him, feeling It to be most appropriate that the Executive of tho Nation which had welcomed tho conferonco con-feronco to its hospitality should give voice to Its Impressive utterances In a causo which tho American Government and people peo-ple held dear. "He announced that ho would, at an early day, invito the other nations, parlies to Tho Haguo conventions, to reassomblo with a view to pushing forward toward complotlon tho work already bogun at Tho Haguo, by considering the questions which tho first conferenco had left unsettled, un-settled, with tho cxprca provision that there should bo a second conferenco. "In accepting this trust the President was not unmindful of tho fact, so vlvldlv brought home to all the world, that a great war Is now In progress. Ho recalled re-called ho circumstances that at the time when, on August 24. 1S0S. his Majesty, the Emperor of Russia, sent forth his Invitation Invi-tation to the nations to meet In tho interests in-terests of peace. 4ho United States and Spain had merely halted In their struggle strug-gle to dovlse terms of peuce. No Reason to Relax Efforts. "While at tho present moment no armistice armis-tice botween the parties now contondlng is In sight, tho fact of nn existing war is no reason why tho nations rhould relax the efforts thoy havo so successfully mado hitherto toward an adoption of rules of conduct which may make more remote tho chances of future wars between them. In 1SS0 tho conference of Tho Hague dealt simply with tho larger general problems which confront all nations, and assumed no function of intervention or suggestion in the settlement of tho terms of peaco between tho United States and Spain. "It ml.gjit bo tho aamo with a rcai- semblod confcrcnco at the present tlmo. Efforts would naturally lie In tho direction direc-tion of further codification of the universal univer-sal Ideas of right and Justlco which we call International law; Its mission would bo to glvo further effect. "Tho President directs that you will bring tho foregoing considerations to tho attention of tho Minister for Foreign Affairs Af-fairs of tho Government to which you aro accredited, and, in discreet conferenco with him, ascertain to what extent that Government is dlspodcd to act In the matter. mat-ter. By Comparison of Views. "Should his Excelloncy Invito suggestion sugges-tion as to tho character of the questions to be brought boforo the proposed second peace conference, you may say to him that, at this time. It would seem prcma-turo prcma-turo to couplo the tontntlvo Invitation thus extended with a categorical pro-grammo pro-grammo of subjects of discussion. It Is only by comparison of views lhat a general gen-eral accord can bo reached aa to tho matters mat-ters to be considered by tho now conference. confer-ence. "It is deslrablo that in tho formulation of a programmo tho distinction rhould bo kept clear between the matters hlch belong to tho province of International law and those which aro conventional as between Individual Government?. Tho final act of Tho Haguo conferenco, dated July 20 ISO, kept this distinction clearly in sight. "Among the broader geaoral questions affecting the right and Judtlco of the relation re-lation of sovereign States which were then relegated to a future congress were: Tho rights and duties of neutrals; tho Inviolability In-violability of private property In naval warfare and the bombardment of ports, town3 and villages by a naval force. Tho other matters mentioned In the llnal act tako the form of suggestions for consideration consid-eration by Interested Governments. Rights and Duties of Neutrals. "Tho three points mentioned cover a llko flold. Tho lirst. especially, touching tho rlrrhts a"d duties of neutrals Is of . ..I.. 1 I . T .. 1 .1 1 position affects the Interests and wcll-belnc wcll-belnc of all the world. Tho neutral Is something more than an onlooker. His acts of omission or commission may havo an Influence Indirect, but tangible on a war actualiy in progress; whilst on tho other hand ho may suffer from tho exigencies exi-gencies of tho belligerents. "It Is this phase of warfare which aecply concerns vho world at largo. Efforts Ef-forts have been mado tlmo and again to formulate rules of action applicable to Its more material aspects, aa In tho aeclarations of Paris. As recently as April 28 of this year tho Cr.ngress of tho United States adopted a resolution reading read-ing thus: " 'Resolved, by the Sonalo and Houso of Representatives of tho United States of. America, In congress assembled: 'That it is tho stnso of tho Congress of tho United Slates that It Is desirable, In tho Interest of uniformity of aotlon by the maiitlmo stales of tho world In tlmo of war, that the President endeavor to bring about an understanding among tho principal maritime powers with a view of incorporating Into tho permanent law of tho civilized nations tho prlnclplo of tho exemption of all private proporty at sea, not contraband of war, from capture cap-ture or destruction by belligerents. " 'Approved April IS, 1WM.' Contraband of War. "Other matters closely affecting the rlgnts of noutrfils are Tha distinction to bo mado between absolute and conditional contraband of war, nnd the inviolability of tho official and prlvato correspondence of noutrals. "As for the duties of neutrals toward tho belligerent, tho Jleld Is barely loss broad. Ono aspect deserves montlon, ficm the prominence It has acquired during dur-ing rccont times; namely, tho trcatmont due to refugoo bolllgorcnt ships In neutral neu-tral ports. "It may also be desirable to consider and adopt a proceduro by which the slates non-signatory to tho original acta of Tho Haguo conferenco may becomo adhering parties You will explain to his excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs that tho prcsont overture for a second cor.fervmco to comploto the proposed work of tho first congress Is nH designed lo supersede other calls for tho consideration of special spe-cial topics, such as tho proposition of the Government of tho Netherlands, recently re-cently Issued, to assemble for tho purpose pur-pose of amending tho provisions of tho existing Haguo convention with respect to hospital ships. Like all tentatlvo conventions, con-ventions, tliat ono Is open to change In the light of practical oxperlenco and tho fullest deliberation Is desirable to that end. "Flrnlly, you will state tho Prcsldonfs deslro nnd nope that the vindylng memories mem-ories which cling around The Haguo as the cradle of tho beneficent work which had Its beginning In ISifr may be strengthened strength-ened by holding the second peaco conforenco confor-enco In that historic city. "I am. sir. your obedient servant. "JOHN HAY." |
