Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-07-18
TASK is DIFFICULT
The Scheme Olney and Sails.
bury Have in. Hand.
ARBITRATION FOR JOHN AND SAM

Seems a Long Way or So Far as the Ne
gOtiations Have PrOceeded-Marquis and
Secretary Fail to Hit 1t OFF Very Well
Result of the Correspondence That Has
Been Exchanged Summarized - Vene-
zuela a Stumbling Block.
WASHINGTON. july 1S.-The correspon-
dence which has pa sed between the gov
ernments of the United States and Great
Britain respecting the establishment of
general system of arbitration for the set
tlement Of any disputes which might arise
between the two countries, and also for
the settlement by arbitration of the dis
pute over tho Venezuelan boundary, has
been made public in the shape of an even
dozen letters which have been exchanged
this year between Secretary Olney Lord
Salisbury, Sir Julian Pauncefote and Am
bassador Bayard. The correspondence is
OF great interest as marking a sensible ad-
vance towards the adoption by the two
English speaking nations of the principle
of arbitration as the means of settling dis
putes between themselves.
Salisbury Broatiened the Discussion
But the persons who have looked for
ward with hope and expectation to the
speedy conclusion of treaties cnbody-
ing the arbitration principle for the settle
ment of either or both of the two great
open issues between the two nations are
doomed to disappointment, for ut the date
of exchange of the last nOte-one from
Secretary Olncv to the British ambassador
here. dated within n month past-points
nf hp itul in h.,
only Of the Venezuelan question speci-
tlcally but of the general arbitration prop
oSition rs well. We're still the subject of
discussion without much expectation of
an early adjustment. Notable features of
the correspondence are the fact that
whereas Rlyard, by instruction of Secrc-
tary olney, proposed negotiations at
Washington respecting the Venezuelan
boundary dispute, Lord Salisbury broad
cned ii into "a general arbitration scheme
following Il lead set by the late Secretary
Gresham.
Where the Negotiators Don't Agree.
Secretary Olney later insisted upon
disassocating the two subjects. evidently
fearing an entangling alliance otherwise
Another thing shown is that as to general
arbitration the issues which still prevent
an agreement are the indisposi ton of the
British government to include territorial
disputes save with the addition of provi-
sions that in the estimation of Secretary
Olney will render the attempt at arbitra-
tion nugatory, because there are no means
of making the findings of the ;trbitrators
binding upon the parties or Of removing
them from the possibility of infinite ap-
peals. As to the Venezuelan matter. spe-
officially, the difficulty that cannot be over
come is the refusal of the British to
subject to the action of arbitration the
territory upon which British subjects have
actually settled.
Opening of the Correspondence.
Limitation arbitration" is what Olney
designates Salisbury's project, while the
| British premier criticised Olneys plan as
| calculated to result in evils worse than
| war in the institution of innumerabie
suits to recover claimed territory. Thc
| correspondence proper begins with n note
| dated Feb. % last, from Bayard to the
| Marquis of Salisbury in which he proposed
| to enter upon negotiations ut Washington
to settle the Nenezupla question. He also
asked for a clear definition of the settle
mcnts' by individuals in the territory in
dispute which Great Britain desired should
be excluded from arbitration.