The Conference of Saint 'Petersburg fol lowed in 1868 and• was attended by represents. dyes from .17 European states, and these agreed upon the Declaration of Saint Petersburg, which denounced among the signatories the employment by their military or naval ,trotips of any projectile of -a weight bdoW.40 ghrannek.
which is either explosive or' charged ,wiAls minating or inflammable substances." , The Geneva Convention of 1864 and the Declaration of Saint Petersburg of 1868 related particularly to a state of war. Soon other mat+ ter became increasingly the subject of interna tional conferences, and before the end of the 19th century, general conventional agreements had been made and signed by a large number of states acting together upon such matters as an "International Bureau of. Weights and Meas+ tires" (Metric System), 1875; "International Protection of Industrial Property,* 1883; "Pro+ tection of Submarine Cables" (in time of peace). 1884; "Exchange of Official Documents, Scientific and Literary Publications," 1886; "Re pression of African Slave Trade," 1890; "For minion of an International Union for the Pt h lication of Customs Tariff," 1890; and dons of Importation of Spirituous Liquors into Certain Regions of Africa,' 1899. Such inters national agreements became a part of the writ ten law of nations, but covered only a very, small part of the entire field of international relations in peace and war. .
• There was developing toward the end of the 19th century a belief that by agreement among the states of the world a basis of conventional law could be reached ,which would do much to alleviate possible friction and even to avoid war. The extent to which this belief was.real izable was to -be put ao the test. While the United States and Spain were still at war, at the diplomatic reception of 12 Aug. .1898, at Saint Petersburg, Count Mouravieff,, Russian Imperial Minister of Foreign Affairs, delivered to the representatives of the Powers; a com munication from His Majesty the Czar. While the nature of the document gave rise_ surprise, its character and source immediate attention. Mentioning the competi tion in development of means of international combat and the effect of this competition upon the states of the world, he proposed an inter" national conference, 'saying that: •To put arr end to these increasing 'armaments, and to find means for avoiding the calamities which menace the entire world. that is the supreme duty which lies ,upon all nations." The United States replied that: "Though war with Spain renders it impracticable for ne to consider the present reduction of onr armaments, which even now are doubtless far below the measure .,
cipal European powers would be willing to adopt, the dent cordially concurs in the spirit of the proposal of His Imperial Majesty." On 11 Jan. 1899 another circular was pre+i seated to the Powers containing a tentativs program. This program suggested agreement upon (1) limitation of armaments; (2) restrica lions upon new methods of warfare; (3) prohip, bition of firing from balloons; (4) prohibition of submarines -and rams; (5) adaptation principles of Geneva Convention of 1864 ha naval warfare; (6) neutralization for vessels, saving those overboatd afterbattles at sea; <7), revision of rules of war. on land; and (8) ac, ceptance of principles of mediation and tion with a view to preventing armed conflicts, Of these eight topics suggested, seven lock tq furthering peace by limitations upon the con duct of war, and the last topic suggests a suasi-legal method of furthering the movement toward peace. , , ''Following.the.stiggestion.of the•Czaf, mow sentatives of 26 Powers met on 20 May1899, in the House in the Wood at The Hague, and remained in session a little more than two Months. This is known as the First Hague Peace Conference. The Conference drew up three conventions, three declarations, one reso lution, and six wishes: Conventions: (1) for the pacific settlement cif international dis putes by means of good offices and media tion, commissions of inquiry and arbitration; (2) regarding the laws and customs of war on land; (3) adaptation of Geneva Convention of 1864 to maritime warfare. Declarations: (1) prohibiting the discharge of projectiles from balloons; '(2) the use of projectiles for the dif fusion of deleterious or asphyxiating gases; (3) the use of expanding bullets. Resolution affirm ing the' desirability of the restriction of mili tary budgets. Wishes for further consideration of'Various matters upon which the Conference had not reached agreement. The last topic unoti the program suggested by the Czar had become the first convention of the First Hague Conference, or the furtherance of the aim of peace by means,quasi-legal in character assumed foremost place in the results of these deliber ations at The Hague; and the first item in the program, the attainment of international peace through the restriction of the means by which each. nation•had hitherto maintained its rights, vir.,'effective armament, became the subject of at.'resolution and a wish. The Conference as serted its confidence in the law as the method f6r settling international disputes.