THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 19 June 1907, Page 3

THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

THE CZAR TO THE CONVENTION. ANTI-MILITARIST DEMONSTRATION. The Hague, June 17. ,Three thousand attended an antimilitarist demonstration here. 11. Nieuwenhius, Socialist leader, described the Mngue Convention as a comedy of peace, and the convener (the Czar) as an antagonist of peace, he having dissolved the Douma the day ibe peace conference opened. Other Socialists spoke.

The* first Peace Conference was h.'ld at The Hague in IS!)!), on the invitation of the Czar. The principal outcomes of that conference were tlii' establishment of a Permanent International Court of Arbitration, the resolve to meet again, and a resolution tint

the fioM,Tni;ier.ts of the Powers represented should examine the possibility of an agreement for the limitation of armaments. President Roosevelt's success in inducing Russia and Japan to make peace in 1905 led him to suggest the holding of a second conference at The Hague, but he yielded to the Czar's desire and allowed his Majesty to convert the meeting which is now taking place at The. Hague. The Czar proposes that the question of limiting armaments shall not be discussed, and tills has led to much criticism. It is expected that the British delegates will endeavor to arouse a debate on this subject.

The British Plenipotentiaries at the Peace Conference arc Sir Edward Fry, Sir Ernest Satow, Lord Rcav (late president of the Institute of International Law), and Sir Ilenry Howard (British Minister at The Hague). The military and naval expert delegates arc Lieutenant-General Sir Ediuond Liles and Captain C- L. Ottlcy, assisted bv Lieutenant-Colonel G. E. Yardc-Buller, Commander J. R. Scgrnw and Major G. K. Cockerill. Mr Eyre Crowe, of 1 lie Foreign Office, is secretary to the British mission; Mr Cecil Hurst, legal sccrctiry; and the Hon. Charles I'iifton and Mr Addison, assistant s.cretaiies.