The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-21
TREATY WITHOUT CATCHES.
NEW ARBITRATION AGREEMENT
DRAWN WITH AMERICAN IN
TERESTS IN MIND.
No Possibility Exists of It's BEING
Given over IntO UnfriendIy
Hands Under Wording

ate committee on foreign relations To-
day had under consideration the gen
eral arbitration treaty between the
United States and Great Britain. Sec
rotary Olney was before the committee
during the session to explain the pro-
visions Of the treaty. He remained
with the committee until it adjourned,
There was a general discussion of the
provisions of the treaty, nearly every
member questioning it's probable eff
feet. Nothing was brought out show
ing any definite plan CT the committee
or its intention regarding the treaty
though the questions put to the sec
rotary indicated that there would be
opposition to many of it's provisions,
and that there were differences Of
opinion among members and the sec
rotary as to the effect Of the treaty.
Secretary Olney supported his assesr-
ton that the treaty was in no sense in
derogation or subverSiOn of the Mon
roe doctrine, and pointed out that Ar
ticle expressly provided that If, in
the course of the arbitration OF
claim, 1t was found that the decision
involved the decision of a disputed
question of principle Of grave general
Importance affecting the national
rights of such party, as distinguished
from the private rights Of which it was
a representa- tive, the jurisdiction Of the
simple arbitration composed Of two ar
bitrators and an umpire, shall cease,
and it shall be dealt with by the more
complex arbitration set down for the
settlement Of territorial claims, and
composed of judges Of the United
States and British supreme courts.
The secretary pointed out that In
this case a question arising under the
Monroe doctrine would certainly be- re
garded as excepted from the scope OF
the simple or original arbltratlon
Then, if it should come before the sec
ond tribunal, an adverse decision
against the United States, and cOnse-
quently against the doctrine, could be
had only in case five of the six arbi-
traitors decided, an utterly improbable
contingency, in view of the fact that
this would involve casting two of the
three votes of the United States rep
resentatives against their own cOun-
try.
Then to quiet apprehension that the
United States might suffer from the
selection of an umpire by King Oscar,
who would naturally sympathize with
the European side of the case, the
secretary pointed out that after all,
the only harm that could result to the
United States would be a small fin
arcial loss, for the king is to name
the umpire only in cases involving the
pccuniary claims and not matters in
volving any important principle, and
even in such cases either power could
Insist upon a substitute for King Os-
car in any particular casse.
Mr.. Olney declared that the treaty
had been negotiated with great care
for the protection Of American in
terests, and expressed the opinion that,
if ratified, it would found g satisfact-
DRY safeguard Of the national interests
Of the United States He held that
the treaty clearly expressed it's pur-
poses and said there was no hidden
meaning concealed in its phraseoloSy.
He contended for its approval as an
advance in diplomacy, in accordance
with the tendency of the times. A
general disposition was manlfeted
by the committee to give the treaty
fair and full consideration, and Mr..
Olnev was made to understand that
the committee wanted the fullest pos
sible information, and that having OBJ
tanned this. it would be disposed to
take up and act upon the treaty on
its merits.
The third topic discussed by Mr.. OIL
ney and the mebers of the committee
was the possible effect Of the treaty on
nlitted that any dispute over the canal
would be subject to arbitration, but he
commended that the advantages secured
were more than sufficient to counterfeit
this; defect Again referring to the
designation of King Oscar as umpire,
Mr. Olney said that he was in no wise
welded to selection, but that 1t had ap
peared better to provide an umpire
than to leave the work of agreement
on disputed points to the arbitrator,
and that the Swedish sovereign had
been accepted as fairly disposed man.
The committee expressed determi-
nation, after Mr.. Olney left, to take up
the subject at it's next meeting with
view to disposing of it at as early d
day as possible. 1t is generally agreed
that the document will be amended
in some particulars and this will ne
cesSitate more or less delay
While Mr.. Olney was before the COM
mittee, he was asked whether the Ven
ezuelan commission had ever made a
report to the state department, and
he replied that it had not.