THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, JULY 21, 1900.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 22, 21 July 1900, Page 2

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, JULY 21, 1900.

The gr»at Peace Conference which was held at the Hague laat year, it \villl>e rememt>er-«d, was Bayed from fiasco by the zeal of the American and British delegates in advocating the cause of international arbitration. The original proposals of the Czar for the reduction of armaments were not favourably received, and the only tangible result of the Confe. ence's labours was the Arbitration Convention. This provided the machinery for the appointment of a permanent tribunal of international arbitration, to be used by the parties in a dispute if they so desired. The conven-. tion -was signed by most of the Great Powers, but not by Britain or Germany, and these two Powers also.-refused to sitfn the remaining conventions adopted by tbo Conference. This week, however, it has been announced that Britain is prepared to take the step from winch .she Bhrank a year ago, but whether this covers approval of > the arbiUation tribunal only, or of the whole work of the Conference it ifc impossible to say. A majority of the States agreed to abandon the use of explosive bulletß and of projectiles intended solely to diffuse asphyxiating gases, and to prohibit the throwof projectiles from balloons. One important proposal by the Conference was that the principles of tho Geneva Convention should bo extended to naval warfare, and we have no doubt that that advance will b© made within the next few years. The Convention of 1864 was due to the representations of two citizens of Geneva, one of whom had saen the horrors of the battlefield of Solferino. Their objeGt was to give the ambulance societies freer access to the wounded. An agreement to extend the principles of of the Convention to naval warfare was adopted provisionally by France and Germany in 1870, but it has always beetf recognised that the Convention would be moro liable to abuss on sea than on land, So-called hospital ships, freely moving between hostile ships, might easily become privateer spies in the service of one of the Powers' engaged. In spit© of tho difficulties in the way, however, there is no doubt that hospital ships should be afforded full protectiin, if not perfect freedom of movement. We are not

told why Xiord Salisbury has made!] this announcement now. Possibly ; the Imperial Government decided^ to allow a year to elapse before signing the Convention, but more probably the momtnt was considered opportune, seeing that all the Great Powers are at present allied for a special purpose. In any case, the co-incidence is remarkable enough to attract attention. There hare been many signs lately of a better feeling between the Powers, and it is to bo hoped that out of the present Concert -will grow some unwritten agreement or understanding that will make for permanent ■ peace.