THE HAGUE CONFERENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8329, 10 January 1907, Page 5

THE HAGUE CONFERENCE.

Received January 9, 9.44 a.m. LONDON, January 9. Mr W. T. Stead, editor of the Review of Reviews, is touring Europe and interviewing leading statesmen on behalf of The Hague Peace Conference. He states that Sir Henry Camp-bell-Bannerman, Prime Minister, is likely to represent Britain at The Hague, and adds that Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, has authorised him to declare that Britain will propose that civilised nations should come to an understanding for preventing war, or rendering it rare. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman also desired that all civilised countries should contribute pecuniarily towards the cost of spreading peaceful ideas, and he attached importance to the necessity of making it obligatory, before two bellicose nations commenced hostilities, that twenty days should elapse, for the purpose of enabling friendly Powers to offer to mediate. (Proposals to the Powers for a second Conference at The Hague to deal with international questions and the amelioration of the conditions of warfare were first made by President Roosevelt, but later he decided to leave the initiative of evoking the Conference to the Czar, as a compliment to the originator of the movement. Russia accordingly issued invitations for a conference to be held at The Hague in July next. The suggested programme proposes revision of the procedure of the permanent Court of Arbitration and International Commissions of Enquiry; also further consideration of the rules of warfare, including questions touching the private property of belligerents at sea, and the rights and duties of neutrals. The question of the limitation of armaments is excluded. The Czar's invitation concludes by expressing a hope that the programme submitted will be recognised as an expression of desire to approach the lofty ideal of international justice which is the constant goal of the civiiised world.)