Evening journal., 1897-01-11
TREATY is COMPLETED
Olney and Pauncefote Finish
Their Deliberations.
1T WILL NOW BB SENT TO LONDON.

mo Aefths OF NHc agreement for an An
glo-American Arbitration TribunaI-It
Has tho Approval of Premier Salisbury.
Now Goes to Congress.
WASHINGTON, Jan 1.-THE general ar.
bitration treaty between Great Britain and
the United States has been completed
Secretary of state Olney and Sir Julian
Pauncefote, the British cnbassador have
been working on the final draft of the
treaty for the last five days.
The finishing touches were given to II
Saturday night
Secretary of State Olney will today sign
the measure and will then transmit it to
congress for ratification by the senate.
On Tuesday duplicate copy of this i'm.
portant paper bearing the official sigma
ture of the secretary of state, will be start
ed for England to receive the approval OF
the British government
This is purely perfunctory duty, how
ever, as Lord Salisbury has in advance
ratified for the English government the
essential points contained in the formal
treaty. He has been cognizant Of every
step in the preparation Of the paper SO
that to all essential purpose the treaty
will become operative as soon as it Is rati-
The treaty, as drawn and agreed to by
Mr.. Olney ana ambassador Pauncefote
covers these points,
First.-It establishes high court of ar
bitration. This commission is composed
of three members of the supreme court OF
the United States, to be chosen by the
president, and Of three members of the
high court of appeals Of Great Britain, to
be selected by the prime minister.
Second.-The treaty is to be operative
for period Of five years from the date OF
the exchange OF ratifcations
Third.-The court of arbitration shall
have exclusive jurisdiction over all ques.
tions between the two countries on which
differences are now pending, (which may
arise during the life Of the trenty, with
the exception Of the Bering sea question
and the Venezuelan dispute
Fourth.-No dispute involving nation.
al honor or sovereignty is to be submitted
to the arbitration commission.
To Act as a Claims Commission.
The Alaskan boundary and other bound.
ary questions not otherwise disposed OF
are to be included in the list of questions
10 be sumbitted for final arbitration 1t is
proposed that the tribunal shall also net
as a claims commission.
Ever since President Cleveland in his
/ last annual message to congress stated the
! progress and set forth the importance of
4 such an agreement between the two coun.
tries Secretary Olney and Sir Julian
! Pauncelote have been reducing the var.
ous propositions TO bases of agreement, and
from time to time Outlines of the conces-
/ sions proposed by each have been submit
4 ted to Lord Salisbury for approval or sug-
/ gestion Various changes have been made
until now tie draft of the treaty that will
be sent 60 congress- has been completed
/ and agreed to.
This important compact between two OF
the greatest nations Of the world is expect.
ed TO prove of great service in establishing
precedent for the settlement Of interna.
tional disputes involving commercial diff.
fcrences or claims between nations where
monetary, boundary or external consider
atiOns hre involved.
1t VIII offer a medium for the speedy
termination Of matters Of great impor.
tance which otherwise would drag tor.
tuous way to lingering settlement
As soon as the general arbitration treaty,
now ready fer the signature of Secretary
Olney is sent to the senate and ratified by
that body, the machinery will be set in
motion that viii send various disputed
boundary questions to the arbitration trib.
unal for comparatively early settlement.
The reason for the withdrawal of Lord
Salisbury opposition to having the treaty
signed and sent 60 the senate is that the
differences that arose over the Venezuelan
treaty have been satisfactorily c0mpro-
missed These had so complicated the situa-
tion that he did notconsidor it advisable To
push the arbitration treaty until the 9th
er was safe.
The Venezuelan government insisted
that it should have the privilege Of sug-
gesting one member of the arbitration trib.
unal within the provisions Of the treaty.
This was duo to the sovereignty of Ven.
ezuola and was conceded ON the withdraw.
al Of objections to the SO year clause
1t is further agreed that the member
suggested by Venezuela shall be either
Of the United States instead of being, o.
has been stated by i'll informed newspapers
citizen Of Venezuela, selected by tho
United States supreme court.
No further step win be taken by Sir Ju
liam Paunccfote and Minister Andrade until
after the ratification Of the provisional
treaty by the Venezuelan congress, which
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