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Show NEUTRAL ZONE IS PROPOSED South American Countries In-vited In-vited by U. S. to Help Formulate Plan. NEUTRALITY LAWS Twenty-one American Republics Repub-lics Should Be Prepared to Speak With One Voice. Washington, Dec. 2. Proposals for creating a neutral zone in the waters of the western hemisphere and conserving con-serving the rights of neutrals will be laid by the United States before the governing board of the Pan-American Union which consists of diplomatic diplo-matic representatives ol 21 American Ameri-can republics. Tne governing board will meet Tuesday Secretary Bryan said today that all the suggestions which have been made will be discussed. Argentina. Chile, Peru. Uruguay and Ecuador are among the countries which have formally communicated plans for the restoration of shipping in this hem-i?phere hem-i?phere through o more vigorous as sertlon of neutral rights. The con fernce will take the form of an exchange ex-change of views by the diplomatists and also will include such questions as wireless and coaling which already have made controversies with European Euro-pean belligerents Nations Should Speak Together. The general purpose of the meeting meet-ing Is to reach a concord of views on ty-one American republics will speak os with one voice to the European belligerent powers whenever new questions arise. Peru's suggestion for a neutral zone extending the territorial waters from the three mile limit to Include a laige arc within which coastwise trade oi all belligerents should be unmolested, Is not viewed by the Tnited States as practicable at present pres-ent because of the belief that such a moe would be misinterpreted by one or the other of the belligerents Such a step could come only from the voluntary action of the belligerents, according to President Wilsons re centiy expressed view Officials here believe the project should be pressed by Ihe concert of Pan-Amrican na-tlonr na-tlonr after the war. ( hile, had suggested that foreign warships' be refused coal in any i orican ports or that only suffl- leni coal be given to permit a warship war-ship to reach a port In an adjacent country. Colombia already has adopted the latter method in dealing with belligerent bellig-erent ships. Argentine and Ecuador have In-fl In-fl r ued the United States that they believe a number of new questions have arisen since the outbreak of the war which demand joint consideration by the Pan-American nations because oi tne laeiuuy ui iuni luivitoi neutrals. . These two countries suggested the tailing of a conference either of special spe-cial delegates or of diplomatic representatives repre-sentatives through the Pan-American union, with a view to a thorough discussion dis-cussion of the situation. After conferences between President Presi-dent Wilson. Secretary Bryan and Counselor Uobert Lansing, i' was decided de-cided that the only feasible plan at present wa to lay tbe entire uuestion before the Pan-merlc in governing boprd. There the diplomatic representatives repre-sentatives can discuss questions in formallv without committing their governments to any specific course and out of such interchange of views, elans may be evolved that can be referred re-ferred to their respective govern-mi govern-mi nts for uniform action. |
