Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-01-27
Two Projects That Have Been Seri-
ously Injured.
LEH0PEFOR ARBITRATION TREATY
Direct Opposition of Some and
the Doubt of Others.
NICARAGUA CANAL BILL

Today again the Senate committee on
foreign relations discussed the arbitration
treaty, without making progress.
The present outlook offers very little en-
couragement to the hope that this treaty
Will be ratified without amendment. The
opposition that has developed Is of char
acter not easily overcome and Is largely
based on the conviction that the terms of
the treaty are such as to threaten the in
terests or this country. This conviction is
apparently strong enough in the minds of
number OF senators to compel them to
resist 1t with all their power unless IL is
amended The number of men in the Sen
ate who oppose the principle of arbitration
Is small. II there is single senator in that
state OF mind. but a study of this treaty
mas not strengthened it. Some who natu-
raily would be ready to accent most any
sort OF treaty looking to the establishment
VI peace nave come to the conclusion that
ho injury Will come to negotiations for
arbitration by allowing the matter to 90
over Ior the consideration of the new ad-
mlnistration to be subjected to such
amendments as thorough examinati ton
may suggest. On the other hand they feel
that the eagerness to have this matter dis
posed OF before the 4th of March To add
10 the proud record Of the present adminis
lIation, might endanger the overlooking of
there were less haste
Inc difect opposition Of some and the
uo1pt OF others is calculated to deIav ac-
ton. az
amendments excluding the Monroe doc
trine from arbitration and SECURING the
Nlcaraguan canal project from European n
interference are likely to be adopted.
IL is believed that Mr.. OIney now real
izes that ne injured the prospects of his
treaty by the communication of Minister
rodriguez sent to the Senate Just at the
tlme when the question of the possible re-
iation Of the Nicaraguan canal project
considered. 'e
He has been trying with the assistance
OF Rodriguez 1t is also obvious that the
nave been consulting with Senator Nor
san on the subject. The friends of the
canal project express the opinion now that
the matter has been so far adjusted hat
an amended Nicaraguan canal bill will be
got through both houses of Congress- 1t
IS OBVIOUS, however, that the measure
has lost strength which cannot be re-
gained by the withdrawal of the opposition
OF Rodriguez. to correct this, and the two
patching up of the canal bill will not end
the opposition to the arbitration treaty
1t looks as If both projects had been in
jured beyond the present power of repair
by those most Interested in behalf of each
AT the meeting of the committee today an
amendment was offered to the treaty which,
1t Is believed, will fully protect all the rights
OF the United States urder the Monroe
doctrine and also American rights in con-
nectlo1 with the Nicaraguan canal and the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty, but it's terms were
not made public.
Another amendment offered covers the
feature of providing for the election Of
King Oscar OF Sweden and Norway as UNI
pire. This provision of the treaty is re-
ceiving very careful scrutiny, and 1t now
seems quite probable that an amendment
will be adopted changing the provisions
1t Is possible that the clause may be
stricken out, or that the arbitration COM
mission may be empowered 10 choose It's
own umpire whenever occasion arises
where a deciding vote may be necessary.
Members of the committee who criticise
this portion of the treaty say they find
that the relationship between Great
Britain and Sweden is a. very close one,
and that they have discovered also that
an alliance exists between Great Britain
and France in which the two former coun-
tries agree to protect the Scandinavian
kingdom "by force of arms If occasion
requires such display on their part. This
agreement, they consider. shows rela-
tionship too close to justify the United
States in accepting the rnier of one of the
countries to the alliance as arbiter in a
dispute with one Of the other parties to 1t.