Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-21
BEFORE THE COMMITTEE.
Secretary Olney Questioned AS to tn
fF Arbitration Treaty.

Secretary Olney Questioned AS to the
ff Arbitration Treaty.
Washington, Jan. 20.-The senate COM
mittee on foreign relations listened to
Secretary Olney for more than an hour
this morning. The members who drew
the general treaty of arbitration between
this government and Great Britain made
an elaborate argument in favor of the
ratification of the treaty as sent to the
senate. Much of the talk about the COM
mittee table was of an interlocutory
character and several senators, notably
Morgan and Davis, asked numerous ques-
tions of the secretary, intended to gather
from that official his idea of the scope of
the treaty. The questions propounded in
Ndicated quite plainly an antagonism to
the text of the convention and the inten-
ton of senators to insist upon its amend
ment before reporting the instrument to
the senate. Mr.. Olney was questioned
closely as to the general scope of the
treaty and stated that it did not include
the arbitration of the Monroe doctrine
and was so understood by this govern
ment and Great Britain. The matters in
dispute that would come under the pro-
visions of the convention were such as
might grow out of treaty rights or under
International law.
At the conclusion of Mr. Olney's argu-
ment he was asked what objection there
could be to the insertion of a clause rela-
tive to the Monroe doctrine, If both gov
ernments understood the subject alike;
but to this question, it is understo TODD Mr..
O1ney gave no specific answer.
No action was taken and 1t Is intimated
that action cannot possibly be had for
some weeks to come.
In celebrating his statement that the
Monroe doctrine would not come within
the terms of the general treaty of arbi-
tration Mr.. Olney told the committee that
it was well understood by the negotiators
of the convention that all questions re-
1ating to the foreign policy of either gov
ernment were not intended to be includ-
ed in the terms of the treaty. 1t Is un-
derstood, however, that when pressed on
the subject of the Nicaraguan canal, Mr..
Olney said that If Great Britain sought
to make am issue on that subject growing
out of the terms of the existing Clayton
Bulwer treaty, it would probably come
within this general treaty under that
clause which provides for the settlement
of disputes between the two governments
arising under treaties or otherwise, the
suggestion was made that clause be put
in the treaty relative to the elimination
of the Monroe doctrine so there could be
no dispute on that question in the future.
1t was also contended that the Isthmus
canal should be reserved In like manner.
So far as can be learned, Mr.. Olney
made no impression on the committee
and it is today as firmly convinced as ever
that the convention requires radical
amendments before it is ratified.
In reply to the criticism of the selec-
tion of the King of Sweden and Norway
as the umpire, Mr.. O1ney said that article
x fully provided against any possible
miscarriage of justice in that 1t enabled
either party to select another umpire
either for all cases that arise under the
treaty or any particular case. Every
thing that could be done to make the
court absolutely impartial and its find
ings just had been accomplished
Mr.. Olney insisted that there was 10
ground for the fear that the Monroe doc
trine would be attacked. 1t had not
been mentioned in the treaty, for to do so
would have been unpolitic and dangerous
The provisions of article VI, relative to
the method of procedure in territorial
claims gave assurance that all the rights
of this country in any dispute would be
carefully guarded. That article stipulat-
ed that any: award to be final must be
made by vote of not less than five 70
one in a court consisting of three Ameri-
can jurists and three English. 1t could
not be con ceived, said Mr.. Olney, that two
Americans would join the English side Of
the court on any question unless they
were warranted in so doing by the facts
and the presentation of the case before
the court A five to one award Mr.. Oh
ney said guaranteed absolute fairness and
Justice and disarmed all the criticism
that had been directed against the con-
vention.