New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-04
THE FRAILTY OF TREATIES.

The utterances of both friends and foes OF
the pending Arbitration Treaty with Great Brit
ain afford q curious study of vain hopes and
proundless fears. Ratify the treaty, say the
former. and war and danger Of war will be
abolished between the two great Anglo-SaXon
Powers But 1t would not be so. Do not ratify
the treaty. cry the latter, lest by so doing the
hands of this Nation be fettered to its great,
perhaps fatal disadvantage. But neither would
that be So The treaty, In its original or in its
amended form, would not give absolute immu-
nifty from war; and it would not place this Ma
ton at a disadvantage by hampering its liberty
of action. So far as those two ends are con-
cerned, it would perhaps be worth the paper 1t
is written on; surely not much more
How little more i. would be worth may be
reckoned by its friends and foes alike after
pe,usirg the instructive and suggestive article
over the welknown signature of "Ex-Attache,"
published on another page OF to-day's paper
This article reviews in brief the dealings Of Eu-
ropean nations with some Of the more impor-
tan. treaties of modern times, and shows that
they have, as a rule, tended more TO the breach
than the Observance The Treaty of Paris fruit
Of the Crmcan War, was fagrantly and cynical
ly broken by Russia just soon as she could
Free State has been violated in part and IN
whole The Berlin Treaty Of 1878 has been
broken by almost every one of the signatory
Powers Prince Bismarck has told how he him.
self played false with the Triple Alliance. The
Cyprus Convention has never been fulfilled in
letter or in splr: by Great Britain. Russias
engagements concerning Batoum, Frances con-
corning Tunls and Gcrmany's concerning Afri-
oln hor oil hapn lin taI And
list might be indefinitely extended. Treaties
that have been faithfully kept are notable
for their singuarity. And so it may be reck-
oned with confidence that if the integrity and
honor of this country were at stake and could
be INDICATED only by war, not this Arbitration
Treaty nor thousand such could prevent war;
and If this Nation found its hands fettered to the
peril Of its honor and integrity by the terms Of
this treaty, the treaty would be of no more ac-
count than gossamers on the limbs of giant
To say this is not to impute readiness for bad
faith 1t is merely to impute human nature and
natural law; to reassert what Lowell so felici
tously said half century ago. Man is more
than constitutions No constitution in the
world can permanently stand against the rights
Of man. No treaty can stand against national
rights and honor. Neither is this to argue the
uselessness Of treaties. BY no means 1t Is to
argue that the value OF treaty Is in its spirit
more than in its letter; that the value of this
Arbitration Treaty would be-lei us hope, will
be-in It's moral influence and educational effect
more than in mere physical compulsion In
deed, there can be no physical compulsion in the
case There can be no international marshars
posse to enforce the international tribunals de-
crees. AcquIescence in verdcts must proceed
from goodwill and no other source. And that
fact will give the treaty It's highest possible
value. II It were to declare that each nation
must submit all cases 10 arbitration and accept
all verdicts unhesitatngy or be thrashed into
submission instanter 1t would make for war
thousand times more than for peace But in
basing both submission Of cases and acceptance
of vcrdlcts solely upon goodwill and amlcable
disposition 1t will make for peace without com.