The San Francisco call., 1897-01-23
EDMUNDs ON ARBITRATION.

The letter of ex-senator George F. Ed
munds on the arbitration treaty between
this country and Great Britain will go far
toward reassuring the public mind on the
advisability of adopting the treaty as it
has been agreed upon between Secretary
Olney and the British EN- bassador Paunce-
fote
The ex-senator deals with the princi-
pal criticisms which have been directed
against the treaty and points out that
none of them are valid. These criticisms
are three in number. The first charges
that the treaty involves a surrender OF the
Monroe doctrine; the second that it would
injuriously affect our interests in regard
to the Nicaragua canal, and the third that
there would be danger in leaving it to any
European power TO name an umpire in
arbitrating difficulties which might arise
between this country and Great Britain
under certain contingencies.
Ex-senator Edmunds asserts that the
fear that the treaty would interfere with
the Monroe doctrine or would compel US
to submit that doctrine to arbitration is
quite unfounded. He quotes the words of
the treaty referring to this subject and
points out that all writers on natural law
and international law agree in holding to
the opinion which he maintaIns-that
nothing in the words of the treaty would
affect in any way the rights OF either party
against the other.
He replies to the second criticism in the
same way as to the first. Concerning the
third he says; ut is enough to say that
so far as our considera BILE experience has
gone in such matters we have never had
occasion to complain of the action of any
sovereign in naming an umpire or 6ecid-
ing dispute"
In concluding his letter ex-senator Ed
munds says:
am intense in my support of the Monroe doc
trine. l believe the building of the Nicaragua
canal under the auspices of the United States
to be of urgent necessity. believe most earn
estly in International arbitration to the ut
most extent that civilized. just and self-re-
specting nations can go, and most earnestly
hope 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
There can be no question that the publi-
cation of this letter will have reassuring
effect on the public mind. Ex-senator
Edmunds is one of the highest, If not the
very highest, authority on international
law in the United States. His eminence
on law questions while in the Senate was so
high as to be absolutely undisputed. What
he has to say, therefore, concerning issues
of the constitution or of our international
relations cannot fail to have weight with
all who have respect for learning and high
ability in deciding complex problems
arising from these subjects.
1t is fortunate that the people did not
need ex-senator Edmunds to remind them
that he is intense in his support of the
Monroe doctrine, and is an ardent ad-
vocate of the construction of the Nicar-
aqua canal. These things were made clear
to the people py the services which Mr..
Edmurds rendered while in the Senate.
They know him to be true patriot as well
as great lawyer, and those who favor ar
bitration and seek to establish by it the
prolonged continuance of peace which is
SO essential to prosperity will be glad to
note that this wise statesman and true
patriot finds no cause whatever for the
fears that the proposed treaty of arbitra-
ton will injure in any way either the in
terests or the honor of the Republic.