The herald., 1897-01-12
arbitration WITH ENGLAND
IS Fixed For Five Years to
Come
Mr.. OLNEY AND SIR JULIAN
Affix Their Signatures TO the Important
Document
The President Sends a Message to tht
Senate Expressing His Earnest Hope
for Favorable Consideration
Associated Press Special Wire

lohtiS ttiii-NN. eANii ''s'''ss
lures to a new treaty by which for
term of five years the two English speak
ing nations agree to abide in peace and
without a resort to arms, all possible
questions of controversy being referred
to a court of arbitration. with the single
exception that neither nation surrender
ed its honor or dignity to the judgment
of the arbitration. Later in the day
President Cleveland sent the treaty and
a message earnestly approving it to the
senate.
The treaty consists of twelve articles
and in print would fill about one news
paper column. One of the last points
TO be decided was that King Oscar II.
of Sweden and Norway is to act as the
arbitrator in case the others fail to agree
on the final member of the court. The
acceptance of the king and the final
agreement on that C~tail We're not cabled
to Washington until late Sunday night
and even tnen one small detail remained
to receive the approval of the British
foreign office.
At II o'clock this morning a cable
gram from Lord Salisbury removed this
last question and left the way clear for
the formal execution of the instrument
Immediately on receiving the cable
from Lord Salisbury, Sir Julian Paunce-
fote. accompanied by Lord Cough, first
secretary of the embassy. proceeded to
the state department. They were met
in the secretary's private office by Mr.
Olney and his private secretary. Mr.
Blanford, and MIR. c. Riddle, who, as
chief of the bureau of diplomatic cor
respondence, has charge of the draft
ing of treaties.
There We're formalities. as the sigma
lures were but the elimination of a ne
gotiation covering many weeks, during
which a complete understanding had
been reached on every phase of the sub l.
ject. 1t was felt. however, that the
moment was an eventful one. The dip
lomatic bureau had prepared two copies
of the document. They were not in any
sense ornate The articles of agree
ment We're engrossed in a fair hand on
the simple red margined parchment pa
per ordinarily used for treaties by the
state department.
These copies were laidAupon the secre-
tary's desk and then occurred a very nee
essary formality. The British ambas-
sador produced a formidable looking
document signed by Lord Salisbury, GER
tifying that he Uhe ambassador was
authorized to sign for the British gov
ernment a treaty bearing on the subject
SptClHeu. secretary OlnSE I6plleQ Dy
showing a letter from President Cleve-
land delegating to him authority to sign
the proposed convention. Having thus
satisfied themselves that everything was
being conducted in the regular order,
the principals proceeded to the sigma
ture of the duplicate treaties. Sir Jul
ian Pauncefote had the honor of signing
first Secretary Olney handed him the
pen and he signed one copy in the first
rAla orr- 1r1n inn, 91flf 80 tn1 a
placing his signature after that of the
ambassador. This will be known as the
British copy, and it will never leave the
possession of that government. Taking
up the other copy. Secretary Olney sign
ed it first and Sir Julian signed after
him. This is the United States copy,
and likewise will remain in the possess
sion of our government. After the SEN
ate has passed upon it copy will be
made of our original, and this will be
used in the final exchange of ratifica-
tions later on. Then both of the copies
We're sealed with red wax. Secretary OIL
ney impressed his private seal, a simple
monogram, "R. o., and Sir Julian used
his family crest, lion, and the cere-
monies We're complete. The pen used
was. simple broad point stub in red
and black hard rubber holder, but it will
be treasured by the owner, Mr.. Blanford,
Following this there was an exchange
of courtesies between Mr. Olney and
Sir Julian, each expressing his deep
sense of qualification that labor which
had presented apparently insurmounr-
a BILE obstacles had been concluded in a
way to give promise of far-reaching
results. The meeting was brief, and On
the retirement of Sir Julian and Lord
Cough, Mr.. Olney at once took the signed
treaty to the White House for the prep
ara ton of President CleVeland's mes
sage transmitting it to the senate. It
was understood during the morning thar
this transmission would be made at once,
in order that every executive function
connected with the treaty should be
completed at the earliest possible mo-
ment. Under these circumstances, the
treaty and the presidents message went
to the senate today.
The twelve articles constituting the
treaty deal with the subjects which are
to be submitted to arbitration and the
manner in which the court of arbitra ton
is to be constituted The language used
in embracing subjects before the court
has been chosen with the greatest care.
the purpose being TO make the terms so
comprehensive that no question can arise
in the ordinary dealings between the two
governments which will cause a resort to
war The article which makes an eX-
ception in the case of an insult to the
framed that ordinary questions which,
to some extent. involve a nations honor
could not be brought within it. In short
the terms of the twelve articles are be
lieved by Mr.. Olney and Sir Julian 10
cover every usual contingency by
which a difference could arise between
the United States and Great Britain
Throughout the negotiations the de-
sire of both the secretary and the am
bassador was to make the language so
broad that, when a controversy arose,
it would be accompanied by the newt
able knowledge on both sides of the wa
ter that arbitration, not war, would re .
suit
The selection of King Oscar as final
arbitrator adds another responsibility 20
that monarch as he has heretofore been
chosen in connection with the NeneZua-
la boundary question. His selection
closed one Of the most troublesome fea
ures of the negotiations. There had been
no difficulty in arranging that eacn
country should be represented by three
arbitrators Of eminence in its judicial
branches. The question then arose as
to how the final decision should he
reached with the court equally divided.
Lord Salisbury felt that the distin-
guished character of the men constitut-
ing the court would insure freedom from
national prejudice. Mr. Olney desired
to remove every possibility of dead
lock by having final arbitra tor, W:lo
could, in case Of tie, cast the conclui :
ing vote. This raised the further uues-
ton as to the nationality of the final
arbitrator. II was felt that in justice he
could not be an American nor an Eng
liShn.ln. while If was felt to bA s0up.I1y