The Peace Conference has shown a great deal of activity
during the week. We deal elsewhere with the various pro- posals for arbitration and mediation that are being discussed, and will only say here that they were received and debated with real interest by the delegates. On Thursday a resolution was passed, in spite of the opposition of the British delegates, sup- ported by Italy and Austria, prohibiting the use of the dum- dum bullet. It must be remembered, however, that it is alleged by our experts that the bullet cannot fairly be condemned on the ground of inhumanity. On Thursday, also, a proposal was discussed for giving private property at sea the immunity from capture which it enjoys on land. We trust that, in spite of some obvious advantages, we shall not agree to this, for the balance of benefit is decidedly against the proposal. The Times correspondent at the Hague most appositely cites the opinion of two great Englishmen on the subject. One of them, John Stuart Mill, said :—" I venture to call the renunciation of the right of seizing enemies' pro- petty at sea a national blunder." The other, Mr. Cobden, held that "the practical effect would be, in case of war with a naval Power, to transfer the carrying trade even of our own ports to neutral bottoms."
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