The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-13
The Proposed Revival of the Arbi-
tration Project,

A rumor is current that President Mo-
KINLEY has requested an American states
man to prepare a draft Of a treaty with
Great Britain which, while meeting the
objections urged in the Senate against the
Olney-Salisbury convention, shall assert
the principle of arbitration. We know not
what ground there is for the report, but
Senator MORGAN seems to think that it has
some foundation, for he has denounced the
project in advance, and declares that its
fulflment would be the swan song of the
republic. Curiously enough, the London
National Reric,r, which speaks with au-
thority, being the recognized organ of a
powerful section of the Salisbury Cabinet,
shows itself in its August number equally
opposed to II revival of the scheme. Its
views Upon the matter will be found set
forth in Episodes of the Month";" the po-
litical leading article, which has come to
be regarded as the most important feature
of the periodical.
Recalling some previous experiments in
arbitration, the National RerieU directs
attention to the amount of evaporation
which has been awakened in the human
breast by every step in what philanthro-
hSN 80 ''iis ~ NV ~ ~ " ciNPDNt liot-
ess. That irritation is still felt in England
over the Alabama award is evident from
his expression of belief that ii was in ex-
cess of fair compensation, and that England
was guilty of II blunder in going INTO court
with her hands tied by the preliminary
rules. On the other hand. it is pointed out
that the United States regrets having gone
to arbitration over the Bchring Sea ques-
ton and has persistently viewed the de-
cision with disgust. 1t is, indeed, notori.
Gus that our Government is seeking
to set aside the regulations drawn
up under the Paris award, though they
have only another year to run. On the
whole, so far as the observation of the Ma.
ttOna RcrieW goes, arbitration is rather
a synonym than a substitute for friction.
When it calls to mind. finally, the danger.
Gus amount of ill-will engendered by the
Venezuelan arbitration controversy, and
the outburst of wrath provoked in our Fed
eral Senate by the proposal to transfer dis.
putes arising between the United States
and Great Britain to an arbitration tri-
bunal, it is moved to inquire whether
arbitration" be not an insidious device
"made in pandemonium" to set Anglo
Saxon nations by the earsl
Touching the report that an eminent
member of the Republican party has been
deputed by the Chief Magistrate to frame
yet another Anglo-American arbitration
treaty, the National RepieU declines to
credit it, as being an imputation on the
Presidents sagacity. 1t does not believe
him to be $50 un~statesmanlike as to court
n second and gratuitous rebuff even in so
sanctificd a cause" The National RcUielU
cannot be guided by the New York Evening
Post and the few other surviving organs of
the drowning Mugwumps; consequently it
informs its readers that there is no seri-
GUS demand for such u document In the
United States, while the British sentiment
would certainly be dead against digging up
the corpse which was so lately laid to
rest 1t proceeds to explain the British
Prcmiers Willingness to accept the abor-
tive Olney treaty In u way that must be-
painful to our last Ambassador to the Court
of st. James's. "Misled," it says, shy the
post-prandial emotionalism of Mr.. BAYARp,
(who did great mischief between the two
nations by his ill-considered and unceaslng
oratory), Lord SALISBURY as Foreign Sec.
rotary was induced to go out of his way to
crafty what he believed to be an American
aspiration According 10 the writer of
" Episodes Of the Month";" who is under