The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1898-11-26
Hundreds VIII
= With Research and Counsel =
Assist the Commissions.

Paris.-No treaty of. peace has ever
been framed-at least none that mark
ed the termination of a great war
which did not require the services of
a small army of major and minor dip
lomats. So with the treaty that is
about to be closed between Spain and
the United States.
In the first place three languages will
be required, French, English and
Spanish. with translators for each.
The conference will be conducted in
French, but when it comes to the tech
nicalities OF diplomacy the commission
ers will % trust themselves with any
language but their own, and so every
speech AM. every document will of me-
cessity appear in Spanish, French and
English. This alone means an arr ay
of clerks and a troop of printers.
But ever the Behring Sea arbitra-
ton commission numbered well over
a hundred, counting in all the minor
officials who in one way or another
were necessary to the settlement of
the controversy. And that was a lesser
dispute, compared to the great prob
lens that will come before the Amer
ican-Spanish commission.
The Catholic church will have it's
interests in the colonies to look after,
and so an army of clericals is already
coming to Paris to see that the church
does not suffer the loss of it's vast
properties.
The juntas of the Philippines, Cuba
and Porto Rico will probably all be
represented during the sessions, espec-
tally the first named, whose struggle
for emancipation from Spanish mis-
rule will be most determined.
Counsellors will be there for every
interest, to construe or to misconstrue
as the occasion may warrant, and so,
on the whole, it is fair to presume that
the commission will hold its sessions
deep into the winter, and possibly into
the new year.
The American commissioners are
men of rare diplomatic ability, Sena-
tor Davis ranking, perhaps, foremost
among Americas interpreters of in
ternational law. Senators Frye and
Gray have had long experience on the
foreign committee, and the latter only
recently resigned from the Behring
Sea commission, where his knowledge
of international law proved exceeding
ly valuable. Whitelaw Reid has gain
ed his experience in our foreign diplo-
matte field, and Secretary Day, with
his thorough knowledge of the details
leading up to and the data of the war,
will be no mean opponent to the willy
diplomats of Spain.
All of this recalls to mind the few
J treaties which have at various times
l been made by the United States, and
l the excellent results which have al
ways Injured to this country from the
= rare diplomatic tact of its commission
ers. AS a matter of fact, we have in
the government archives at Washing
ton but three treaties Of peace with
foreign nations. The first was that
which terminated the war of indie
y pendence, the second was thai which
ended the war of 1912, and the last
was the treaty with Mexico in 1913.
3 In the latter the diplomat whose tai
ents were applied to the new prob
' lens of that period was Nicholas p.
Twist, and it is 10 him we owe the
very valuable treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo. This was the one signed at
Guadalupe in Mexico. on February 2,
1S4S. The wal had been caused by
q the annexation of Texas in 1915, and
the conflicting claims about Texas
u southwestern boundary, Texas put
' ting it at the Rio Grande, and Mexico
~contending 1t was at the Nueces. a
river farther east. AT annexation the
United States adopted Texas claim
and In maintaining it war was caused.
= Through its victories in the war the
United States made its claim good.
inc in the treaty of peace the Rio
d Grande was made the boundary. The
q treaty also gave New Mexico and Cal
ifornia to the United States, and this
country paid to Mexico SIS, 900, 900, and
n assumed, to the extent of So. 25O 600.
the claims of United States citizens
d against Mexico.
: At Client, in 1914, America was also
represented by men of deep insight, of
8 rare judgment, and extraordinary dip.
lomatic skill. They were John Quincy
Adams, Henry Clay, James A. Bay
ard, Albert Gallatin and Jonathan
Russell, names familiar to every stu
y dent of American history.
England's representatives were Lord
Gambler, Henry Goulburn and VIII
liam Adams. Aside from the provis-
ion which ended the war between the
y United States and England, the most
important features of the treaty were
those which provided commissions to
l. settle the title to islands in the Passa-
J. maquoddy Bay and to mark the boun-
1t dairy between British and American
-e territory as far west as the Lake of
Ie the Woods.
i'd notwithstanding the evasions of the
in