The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-22
MDORSEO BY EDMUNOS.
EX-United States Senator Believes
In Arbitration Treaty.
Replies to Criticism OF the
Agreement.


Philadelphia Jan. 22.-Followirg is a
letter by ex-senator George f. Ed
munds in reply to a request for his opini-
ION on the new arbitration treaty. The
letter Is written to c. c. Harrison. pro-
vost Of the University Of Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia. Jan. 20, 1897.
My Dear Sir: have yours OF yester-
day concerning the arbitration treaty.
and am very willing to answer your IN
Quiry, IL my opinion is OF any interest to
you. The three principal criticisms or
the treaty are:
First. that IL commits this government
to submitting to arbitration questions
that may arise in connection with the
Monroe doctrine. With sincere respect
for the gentlemen who II Is said. have
suggested this objection, think that IL
is quite unfounded and that those who
have advanced 1t must have failed to
observe the careful language used In
the treaty. The words upon which the
criticism is based are found in Article
~, as follows:
"AlI other matters in difference. in re-
spect of which either of the high con-
tracing parties shall have rights
against the other under the treaty or
against the other In the theory of the
municipal, state and of all It's autonomy?
The rights Of one citizen against another
are essentially and exclusively those
things that the law Of the state enJoins
upon each in regard to the other. This
Is the whole definition. Precisely the
same is true in international law and the
centuries of intercourse between nations.
This / believe, all writers on national
law and international law agree In. To
illustrate these propositions: / take II
that the United States has no right
against Great Britain in regard to her
operations In Abyssinia. nor would she
have any rights against us IL we were to
attempt to share in the partition of
Africa. In the case Of Turkey, IL We
were to seize the whole Of Asia Minor
and establish peace and order there (as
the British have done, in substance In
Egypt. we should have invaded no
right of any power except Turkey. The
same is, of course, true In respect Of
our relations and conduct with the states
Of the western hemisphere under the
Monroe doctrine, or under any other
policy that We may think is just to adopt.
1T was, then, the clear and perfectly un-
derstod distinction between the rights
OF one nation against another and their
interests and policies in regard to other
nations that doubtless led to a separate
treaty in regard TO the Venezuelan ques
ton. for both governments knew that
the affair could not possibly come with
I'm the scope OF the general treaty. You
will see. therefore. that the phrase of
the treaty which is criticised is the most
apt, possibly. TO mark the boundary of
arhffrnffnr onA that leaves tho Mon
roe doctrine unaffected.
The second objection is the fear that
the treaty may affect our attitude In re-
gard 10 the Nicaragua canal. in which
the interests of the United States are SO
deeply concerned. What have already
said disposes OF that solicitude. / have
not time to 60 into detail about ii.
The third and last objection have
heard is the supposed danger of leaving
Il to any European power to name an
umpire in certain contingencies. 1t Is
enough to say that. SO far as our con-
siderable experience has gone In such
matters, we have never had occasion to
complain of the action of any sovereign
in naming an umpire or In deciding dis
pute. In the great arbitration treaty Of
1871, we agreed that three members of
the Geneva tribunal should be named by
three sovereigns. two OF them European,
and that IL any or all of these sovereigns
should fail to name these members, the
King of Sweden shQal name them all.
And, in the same treaty. we did not hesi-
tate to submit the very important ques-
ton of our boundary on the Pacific coast
20 the Emperor OF Germany.
am an intense supporter Of the Mon
roe doctrine. i believe the building OF
the Nicaragua canal under the auspices
Of the United States to be of urgent ne
cessity. l believe most earnestly in in
ternational arbitration TO the utmost ex-
tent that civilized, Just and self-respect-
ing nations can go: and most earnestly
hope that the senate Will ratify the
treaty. as IL is proposed, AS the first steI
very great and auspicious-toward the
attainment of peace among nations.
(Signed) Geo. +. Edmunds
Railroad firemen In Session.
Cleveland Ian pa nuion tnaefipe