The times., 1898-12-06

Straits. nearly a third of the length of
the South American continent. assumed
an acute stage in the early part OF tine
year. and afforded to this Government oc-
casion to express the hope that the re-
sort to arbitration, already contemplated
by existing conventions between the par
ties might prevail despite the grave diff
culties arising in its application. j am
happy TO say that arrangements to this
end have been perfected, the questions of
fact upon which the respective commits
sioners were unable to agree being IN
course of reference to Her Britannia Maj
esty for determination. A residual differ
ence touching the northern boundary line
across the Atacama Desert, for which
existing treaties provided no adequate ad-
justment' bids fair to be settled in like
manner by a joint commission. upon
which the United States minister at Bue-
nos Aires has been invited TO serve as
umpire in the last resort.
RATES ON TELEGRAMs.
! have found occasion to approach the
Argentine government with a view TO re-
moving differences of rate charges i'm
posed upon the cables of an American
corporation in the transmission between
Buenos Aires and the cities of Uruguay
and Brazil of through messages passing
from and to the United States. Although
the matter is complicated by exclusive
concessions by Uruguay and Brazil to
foreign companies there is strong hope
that a good understanding will be reach
ed and that the important channels of
communication between the United States
and the Atlantic cities of South America
may be freed from an almost prohibitory
discrimination.
In I ma he rod IN,
express my sense of the fitness of an in
ternational agreement whereby the inter-
change of messages over connecting ca
bies may be regulated on fair basis of
uniformity. The world has seen the pos
tai system developed from a congeries of
Independent and exclusive services into
Il well-ordered union, of which all coun-
tries enjoy the manifold benefits. II would
be strange were the nations not in time
brought 10 realize that modern civiliza-
ton, which owes so much of its progress
to the annihiiation OF space by the cleo
tric force, demands that this all-impor-
tant means of communicat tion be herit-
age of all peoples, to be administered and
regulated in their common behoof.. A step
in this direction was taken when
the international Convention of 1884
for the protection of subma-
rine cables was signed. and the
medium for the transmission of thought
from land to land may be brought within
the domain of International concert as
completely as is the material carriage of
commerce and correspondence upon the
face of the waters that divide them.
The claim of Thomas jefferson Page
against Argentina, which has been pend
ing many Years. has been adjusted. The
sum awarded by the Congress of A-gen-
tina was si.2i2.35
The sympathy of the American people
has justly been offered to the ruler and
the people of Austria-Hungary b. rea-
son of the afIliction that has lately BE-
fallen them in the assassination OF the
unprecedented of that historic realm.
THE LATTIMER STRIKE.
on the 10th of September, 1857, a n
flict took place at Lattimer, Pa. between
a body If striking miners and the sheriff
of Luzerne County and his deputies. in
which twenty-five miners were killed ana
forty-four wounded of whom ten of the
the killed and twelve of the wounded
were Austrian and Hungarian subjects.
This deplorable event naturally aroused
the solicitude of the Austro- Hungarian
government. which, on the assumption
that the killing and wounding involved
the unjustifable misuse of authority.
claimed reparatton for the sufferers
Apart from the searching inves .igalion
and peremptory action Of the authorities
of Pennsylvania, the Federal Executive
took appropriate steps to learn the merits
OF the case. in order to be in a position TO
meet the urgent complaint OF a friendly
powcr.-~ifhe sheriff and his deputies
having been indicted for murder We're
tried. and acquitted after protracted pro-
ceedings and the hearing of hundreds OF
witnesses on the ground that the killing
was in the line of their official duty to
uphold law and preserve public order in
the State. A representative of the De-
partment of Justice attended the trial
and reported its course fully. With all
the facts in its possession, this GoYsin-
ment expects to reach harmonious un-
derstanding on the subject with that OF
Austria-Hungary, notwithstanding the
renewed claim of the latter after learn
ing the result of the trial, for indemnity
for its injured subjects.
BRUSSELS EXPOSITION AWARDS.
Despite the brief time allotted for prep
aration, the exhibits of this country at the
Universal Exposition at Brussels in 1897
enjoyed the singular distinction of a lar
TO the number and classes of articles en-
tered, than those of other countries. The
worth of such result in making known
our national capacity to supply the word $
markets is obvious.
Exhibitions of this international charac-
ter are becoming more frequent as the ex-
changes of commercial countries grow
more intimate and varied. Hardly year
passes that this Government is not invit-
II rfpfrss
portant foreign center. but often on too
short notice to permit of recourse to Con-
gress for the power and means TO do so.
My predecessors have suggested the ad-
visibility of providing by general en-
actment and a standing appropriation fo-
accepting such invitations and for repre-
sentauon of this country by a commits
sion. This plan has my cordial approval
/ trust that the Belgian restrictions on
the importation of cattle from the United
States, originally adopted as a sanitary
precaution, will at an early day be relax
ed as to their present features of hard
ship and discrimination, so as to admit
live cattle under due regulation of their
slaughter after landing. l am hopeful,
too, of favorable change in the Belgian
treatment of our preserved and salted
meats. The growth of direct trade be-
tween the two countries. not alone for
Belgian consumption and Belgian prod
ucts, but by way of transit from and 10
other continental states. has been both en-
cOursging and beneficial. No effort will be
spared TO enlarge its advantages by seek
ing the removal of needless impediments
and by arrangements for increased COM
mercial exchanges.
EVENTS IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
The years events in Central America