THE HAGUE CONVENTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 30 September 1907, Page 3

THE HAGUE CONVENTION.

'" CAPTURES IN WAB. TACTICS AGAINST BEITAIN. . [Uijixbd. Press Association. — Copi--V:. .^ -\'\ BIGHT.] ■■•>■; :■; :.Xt ■)' THE HAGUE, Sunday. • -'The .plenary" sitting of the Peace Conference.' approved of draft con- .' ventioh.^relating to the treatment of a captured -enemy's merchantmen and - creprs, exempting 'from capture coastal fishing boats.' The Conference was un- :. able j to, agree^ regarding the question : of whether merchantmen may be , converted into warships on the high .: seas, but -approved of a regulation dealings with the^general ques-;v-,tion of -conversion. The Powers are ; purged to' apply as far as possible to : M naval warfare/ the principles of ■; tha' Convention, of 1899, "covering land .warfare. : Lack of time prevented an agreement on : the question of contraband, .and: also on that of the iriviola- : bmty of." the enemy's private property at sea/Varid tfie" destruction of neutral prizes.' ' ■■;.:•, LONDON, Saturday. "The /Times," referring to the Hague Coiiyeritioni complains of tba hyprocW'.of the tactics employed to defeat Britain's submarine mines proposals, and the constant insinuation that Britain is selfishly desirous to secure, the safety of her ocean trade, and her v desire" to deprive smaller powers:' <>£ : 'a 'cheap weapon of defence. " [it'-is^pr^posed- that the Intei-nation-..ai: Prize-; Court;.' suggested' by r the Hague Cpifferitidn/" shall consist of 15 judges, the" eigmV Great .Powers to be repre--•-sented^the^ther 38 Powers to substitute 'judges.^according to a scheme | of notation; ' When the first sub^eom- ] mittee, by 25* votes to two (with 14 ■ abstentions, including' Japan and Kus- . Bia), adopted the proposals for an International. Prize Court and the distribution <>f, judges, Japan's representatives "declared that the subject required icarefuV 'consideration, as the new ■institution must necessarily influence national jurisdiction. Russia s •abstenCon^-was based- on the incomplete of legislation relating to prizes' atid-Hhe necessity of furtherconsideration; particularly of article 7, which that the court must indgeabcording to international law in the absence of any convention, and according to ; the general principles of justice and-'equity should the rules of natibnal.law-not~apply.]