THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 8 July 1907, Page 3

THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

INVIOLABUJTV OP PRIVATE PRoPEKTV. DECLARATION OF WAR PROC'E- ; DUKE. Received 7th, 4.] 8 p.m. The Hague. July U. At the Peace Convention the Fourth Committee discussed American's proposal in favor of the general iaviuUiuility vt private property at sea. Uermany wag prepared to supjxtrt the principle of immunity if the means pror. BP** l for ensuring that protection would ' be efficacious. Holland, Norway, Greece, Argentine, Wd other smaller States suj>i>orted ; America. I Sir Ernest Satow, formerly British Hmister at Pekin, argued that the questions of immunity ofbelligerents'property and the limitation of the right of commercial blockades were inseparably connected* Britain did not consider the movement m favor of the ideal object of the abolition of war sufficiently developed to enable her to associate herself with the doctrine of immunity of private property- Britain's desire to see the iner- I e«ts of neutrals respected had led her to propose the abolition of contraband. The French deleale* argued that the capture of an enemy's commerce was far less inhuman than many methods of * land warfare. . T,le fiaßsian representative thought * " the question was not ripe for decision. After farther consideration, the matter was finally adopted. The Second Committee discussed France's proposal in favor of a formal declaration of war before opening hostSitiea. The Dutch delegates proposed that an Internal of at least 24 hours should elapse between the declaration of war and the outbreak of hostilities. and Germany supported the Trench proposal, but a decision was postponed on the British, American, and -la ;t----anese representatives making a reservatioa regarding the principle.