Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-05-31
The Treaty of Washingtor

Two noticeable letters, upon the ,rvs4y Of
Washington have recently appeared = the on
don Times, ADDRESSED to that jjourrs By D5rI lau
B Eaton, 70 Of New York. Who has been
spending the past year in EnglsnI. In the f st
Of these letters published March 1lth, Nj Z aton
called attention to what he feared would be
found fatal defect in ne treaty, IN the "a lure
to provide therein rule for fixing the me ,,ure
Of compensation. lie thought Inc parties 10 the
treaty should uuite in supplying the defect, by
agreeing on provision that the arb:t-ztors, N
giving pecuniary compensation SHOULD be con-
fned TO results fairly pro1imste, and szpenres
clearly reasonable and proper, as measures Of
prscautioa.
Is hisnezt letter, which il before Us, ia the
London Times Of April 29th. 1Ir Eaton mo
tests aganst the assumption that the mis ,nser-
lions On the part Of the two nations a ~ *
perience fatal 20 international srbiv ,,io, He
says:
No sush inference can be IA lv drawn. hut
qui'e the s5n'rAry TIE obstrr .sti5ns 10 such Ar
Atlo4s nA'e nOI oean in .he past, nor will
- az Ore, misc7 lceptions as 70 Ian
m 80 snces SIS to .tenuon.
iHe distinctions we been, snd if they
- re exist are like 3 to be, the ungoyern-
ii, arsions AMI the isF GRANT PreJuiices Of inal-
dos the exicencie Of dynssties and the
hiocdv ,pirit of reyenf e, the interruptions am
b;ti,ns and the low u orality, which fear publ
c;tv desl in surpris and spurn jusuce-such
80 latest Europei n wars and threats OF wars
illustrate In wide contras, to al this the ne
-o,i.tions between Great Britsin sad the United
State have thown noble triumph over all such
difficulties, Z calm dignity and complete sell
control have been preserved through years OF
pernlexng negotiation about such exciting mat
ter, a. ia earlier ages, and even nov as between
rnost nations. would have caused prompt and
feroeiout WAT ana now, when every difficulty
neoulisr 10 national arbitration Is passed, when u
mere dispute about language, such as might
arise upon the terms Of submission between two
farmers, IL shown 10 be no more likely to lead
10 war than the same Misunderstanding would
between two private parties, 1t ls utterly IN
warranted and mischievOus pervertloa TO ray
that the method Of arbitration has failed. II
has not failed, it hiss triumphed over all real
obstacles; it has kept the peace snd nourished
that peaceful spirit which will continue to keep
il while the work Of arbitration is finished. In
fact. the difficulty encountered has not arisen
in the matter OF the arbitration IN any sense, but
only in the process Of coming to so understand
ing xnd would have been precisely the same
whether or not any arbitration was 10 follow the
Treaty. had there
been a real negotiation to the indirect clSims,
the irsue would have been-should there now be
such a negotiation the result will be-In my
opinion. an agreement. Whether it be new
rule the effect Of which could not be doubtful:
ors new rule accompanied with 3 Retrospective
application, such as was given TO the three rules
of the Treaty. which should declare that such
Losses are IN the Treaty clsssed at Indirect
are not regarded as allowable, is not very mate
rial. In either event the controversy would be
closed and the value THE treaty would be vastly
enhanced as an international precedent 1t is
hardly to be imagined that while the American
Senate and Parliament are in session such spec
tscle will be presented as Treaty failing be-
cause the parties think they cannot agree upon a
point which, according to their own showing,
has never been made the subject Of negotiations
al all For the arguments Of the parties have
these peculiar feAtures-thst the Americans
CHIN they never waived the Indirect Clsms for
the reason that they we're never disputed that
the Ergsh claim they never objected 10 them
for the reason that they were Voluntarily waived.
The whole English argument rests on the theory
that the Indirect Claims were never discussed
and never pressei and all that can be learnt
OF the feelings Of the American people tends to
show that, if requested to do 50, their govern
ment would msgeshinou.ly waive them.
The reEalt has borne out these predictions.
There has been negotiation, and the result ID
an agreement, the saving of the great treaty,
and the triumph o: the principle of peaceful Ar
bitrstion. 10 the,e results, whatever may be
Their opinions as to rome OF the stages by which
they were reached, all who desire to zee har.
mony prevail between the two great English
speaking nations Of the Globe, must rejoice