The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-01-21
The Arbitration Treaty.
Interview with Senator Chandler of New Hamp.
shire.

Interview with Senator Chandler Of New Hamp.
shire.
In an interview with a New York Journal
reporter Sunday Senator Chandler of New
Hampshire said, concerning the Anglo
American arbitration treaty:
"In any general treaty of arbitration with
Great Britain it should be indispensable
that we first of all exclude in some way any
decision by arbitration which might impair
the Monroe doctrine. If England, or any
other European country aided by Great
Britain, soughtto enlarge its possessions, in
the western hemisphere, either by request or
the peaceful acquisition of territory under
the guise of boundary dispute or claim, and
the United States should intervene to pre-
vent the enlargement of European possess
sion, it would not be advisable to refer the
question to arbitration. 1t is as little sub
ject for arbitration as would be the claim of
the United States to talk Of taking the Isle
of Wight.
EITHER, therefore, in this treaty or in con-
nection Herewith, there must be reserva-
tion of the controversy involving the Mon
roe doctrine. In the second place, no treaty
with Great Britain will ever be ratified
which will make it possible for majority of
the arbitrators to be European citizens in
spite of any objection on the part of the
United States to having this European ma
JoiilS apparently uHuel tlit tltdlN, dS IL
ads, this may be the result.
'The arbitrators selected by Great Brit
ain may be wholly European; those select
ed by the United States may belong wholly
to the north or south American countries.
Ii the two countries failed to agree upon
the umpres. they are to be named by an
European King, and of course may be. and
are most likely to be Europeans. Thus the
United States, the treaty reads, will
have put great questions at issue between
this nation and Great Britain wholly into
the hands of Europeans. This will never
happen.
"a provision which gives European
monarch the right conclusively to settle an
American question is fatal to all hopes of
contirmatve action on the treaty without an
amendment eliminating article ten. If
general treaty of arbitration could be drawn
for the settlement hy arbitration Of questions
concerning only the United States and Great
Britain and which would net put it in the
power of Great Britain to secure arhitrators,
majority of whom We're Europeans, 1t
would not be objectionable, but on the con-
trary, very desirable.
But there is further objection to the
treaty 1t extends to controversies involv-
ing other governments with whom England
may undertake to interfere. 1t is not con
celvabte that the United States will inter-
fere in questions co corning European
States, but, on the other hand 1t is very GER
tain that Great Britain will continually in
terfere in the affairs of independent western
hemisphere nations.
"She may try to encroach on the territory
of Venezuela. 1t could happen that she
might agree to help Spain i'll maintaining her
hold on Cuba. She may make a quarrel with
Hawaii and land troops on the soil of that
republic. She may assert, under the Clay
ton -Bulwer treaty, right in an isthmus canal ,
and so on. The United States in this treaty
binds itself to submit to every one of Great
p-itr ;,,', 81,
latter may be able to have approved by d
tribunal composed wholly of Europeans
"What kind of substitute would you
suggest in order to avoid the formation of
,urt of this character" Mr.. Chandler was
asked.
ST pom all American questions [ would in
sist that an American government choose
the umpire and allow European govern
ment to select the umpire in cases of Euro
pean controversies or | would have no ar
ticle ten, and if in the two sets of arbitra-
tors could not agree on an umpire, would
let the arbitration fall
Washington special to the New York
Herald says that a strong effort will be
made by Republican senators to have the
general arbitration treaty between the
United States and Great Britain considered
in open session. Some of them don't like the
insnuavion that their opposition to the
treaty rests on partisan grounds Senator
Teller is one of these. In conversation Mon
day night lie said:
II don't believe there is man in the Sen
ate who is not in favor of the principle of
general ar rbitration, but the awk kward ma
chinery provided in the pending treaty is
certainly not satisfactory to a majority of
the members of that body and think very
little public discussion of the matter will be
required 20 prove that it will be very dan
gerous thing for the United States tt enter
into any such ARA
at is out of the question to suppose that
a subject of his great Importance can prop
erly be debated during the short time
mainin- Of the present session, Or that the
necessary two thirds majority could be OBJ
tanned for its ratification if the matter
should be pressed to a vote
Notwithsta ndng the opposition which
has been man ifested, administration officials
are advising their friends in the Senate to
press for action upon the treaty. Nothing
would be more pleasing to President Cleve-
land than to have this treaty become opera
tive before he goes ont of office.
While Senator Sherman, chairman of the
committee or foreign relations, has express
ed his approval of the treaty, it is not be-
lieved he will take any very active part i'll
urging action upon it. The understanding
is that he will take a neutral position
on all pending questions, because any utter
ances by him will be accepted as foreshad-
owing the policy of President Mckinley.