The record-union., 1897-01-22
That It Will Come in Conflict With
the Monroe Doctrine.
Declares That Such is Not the Case,
and Neither Would 1t Interfere
With the Completion of the Nicara-
qua Canal Under the Auspices or
the United States-The Treaty a
Very Great Step Toward the At
tainment of Peace Among Nations.
PHII.ADEI .PHIA

United States Senator George f Ed
munds of Vermont, one of the leading
authorities on constitutional law in the
United States, has written letters to sew
eral gentlemen here who sought his
opinion on the arbitration treaty be-
tween the United States and Great Bri-
tain. Mr.. Edmunds says:
The three principal criticisms of the
treaty are:
"First-That it commits this Govern
ment to submitting to arbitration ques-
tions that may arise in connection with
the Monroe doctrine. With sincere re-
spect for the gentlemen who, it is said,
have suggested this objection, l think
that it is quite unfounded, and that
those who have advanced it 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: All other
matters in difference in respect of which
either Of the high contracting parties
shall have rights against the other
under the treaty or otherwise
What then are Rights against the
other?' In the theory of the municipal
state and of all its autonomy the rights
of one citizen against another are es-
sentially and exclusively the things
that the law Of the State enjoins upon
each other in regard to the other This
is the whole definition. Precisely the
same rule applies in international law
and the century of intercourse between
nations This, I believe, all writer's on
natural law and international law agree
in.
ITO illustrate these propositions, 1
take 1T that the United States has no
rights against Great Britain in regard
to her operations in Abyssinia, nor
would she have any right against US IL
we were to attempt to share In the par
titien Of Africa. In the case of Turkey,
if we were to seize the whole of Asia
Minor and establish peace and order
there, as the British have done, in sub
stance, in Egypt, we should have in
vaded no right CT any Power except
Turkey. The same is, Of course, true in
respect of our relations and conduct
with a State Of the Western Hemis-
phere under the Monroe doctrine or
under any other policy that we may
think it just to adopt
1T was, then, a clear and perfectly
understood distinction between the
rights of one nation against anotherand
their interests and policies in regard to
other nations that doubtless led to a
separate treaty in regard to the Vene-
zuelan question, for both Governments
knew that fair solution of the difficulty
scope of general treaty. You will see,
hnr I1af tfa nh Of txr
which is criticised is the most apt pos
sible to mark the boundary of arbitra-
ton, and that it leaves the Monroe doc
trine unaffected.
The second objection is the fear that
the treaty may affect our attitude in
regard to the Nicaragua Canal, in which
the interests of the United States are so
deeply concerned. What / have already
said disposes of that solicitude. l have
not time to go into details about it
The third and last objection I 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 ex-
perience 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 dispute. In
the great arbitration treaty of 1871 we
agree that three members of the Geneva
tribunal should be named by three SOW
ereigns. two of them European, and that
If any or all of these sovereigns should
fail to name these members the King
of Sweden should name them all. And
I'm the same treaty we did not hesitate
10 submit the very important question
of boundary on the Pacific Coast to the
Emperor Of Germany.
81 am an intense supporter of the
Monroe doctrine. l believe the building
of the Nicaragua Canal under the au-
sn,ces of the United States to be of ur-
cent necessity. / believe earnestly in
International arbitration to the utmost
extent that civilized, just and self-re-
snecting nations can go, and l earnestly
hone that the Senate will ratify the
treaty as it is proposed. as the first step.
very great and auspicious. toward the
Attainment of peace among nations