The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-10
NORMAN ON ARBITRATION
Sentiments of the London ChrOni Gle 5
Commissioner.
WILL AMERICA LEAD ENGLAND?
MIR. Norman Does Not Bclivc That British
Sediment viii Not Bc Moved to
Accord with American Ideas of
Settling National Disputes

Washington. Jan. 9.-Henry Norman,
the special commissioner of the Lon
don Daily Chronicle in Washington,
cables his paper today as follows:
The sentiment for arbitration Is a
ball. which once set rolling among a
civilized people, cannot be stopped. l
take it for granted that in some man.
ner arbitration in the Venezuelan dis
pute Is now certain. Therefore my
work here Is done. But that this tenn
porary evil may prove the germ of
great good have desired to add fresh
impetus to the wider movement. Now
President Cleveland and Mr.. Olney pre-
serve absolute silence, deeming their
official positions incompatible with un-
official speech. Who, after them, rep
resent the weightiest influence on
American foreign affairs? Obviously
the members of the senate committee
on foreign relations and the house COM
mittee on foreign affairs. According
ly.' have been at pains today to learn
the opinions of these gentlemen. and
the results ! have obtained. will, feel
assured, be equally gratifying and po-
tent in England. One member of the
senate committee. Roger .. Mills. of
Texas. l was unable to find. But with
this single exception l can present you
with the views of the entire commit
tee. To each member I put this ques-
ton:
would 1t, in your opinion. be well
for the governments of the United
States and Great Britain to endeavOr to
agree upon the constitution of a perma-
nent court or tribunal of arbitration
to which all questions at issue between
the two governments. not involving ma
tiOnal autonomy or honor, should be
submitted for decision when diplomatic
negotiations fail?"
Opinion Unanimous.
Every member Of the committee seen
by Mr.. Norman expressed himself
strongly in favor of settling the dis
putes between nations by arbitration.
Those members of the house foreign
committee who We're seen by Mr.. Nor
man, expressed sentiments similar to
those of the senate committee. After
quoting all the opinions gathered by
him, Mr.. Norman continues:
The above represents the weightiest
and most important body of opinion
that could possibly be secured in the
United States. In it there Is not
single dissenting voice. And these are
the men to whose consideration any
question between England and America
would be first submitted and by whose
decisions the senate and the house
would be probably guided. 1t is
impossible to believe that British senti-
ment will not be moved to respond to
such remarkable unanimity and such
enlightened utterances. If not, then
the world will see that America is
ahead of England in the most striking
characteristic of a civilized people.
More Trouble in Guiana.
1t is cabled today that the British
Guiana police have occupied the eX-
treme limits of the territory claimed by
Venezuela. The American government
has brought heavy pressure to bear to
prevent the Venezuelan government
from committing any over act and thus
preciptating hostile situation. There
fore it is imperatively necessary that
the British government instantly deny
and repudiate such a monstrous and
fatal act as the armed occupation of
territory while the question of arbitra-
tion is pending.
My work is done. l propose to leave
Washington Immediately. The Schom-
burgk line Is now abandoned. The Eng
lish public. understanding the Ameri-
can attitude, has changed its own at
titude and nothing blocks the way to
a prompt settlement not only of the
Venezuelan, but of all other matters,
and they are numerous now pending
and creating international discord. and
thereby placing our relations upon an
amicable footing for the future. My
last words shall be. and they must
surely express British no less than
American sentiment. that the nation
desiring arbitration Is in a civilized at
titude and that the nation refusing it
is in an uncivilized attitude.