The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-16
Sir Richard Webster, Chief Counsel
for Great Britain, Opens the Argu-
ment in His Country's Behalf.
CONFERENCES At THE HAGUE
PEACE COMMISSIONERS SAID To BE
MAKING GOOD PROGRESS.
Another Arbitration Proposal That
May BE Accepted-The Csar Report
ed to he Disappointed.

PARIS. June 15.-The first formal meeting
of the Venezuela arbitration commission
opened this morning. The arbitrators, coun-
sci and others began assembling at the
Foreign Office shortly before IL o'clock.
They were received by the minister Of for
eign affairs. NJ. Delcasse in the apartment
in which the tribunal will sit. These are
the rooms used at the meeting of the Span
ish-American peace conference and during
the Bering sea arbitration. A large colored
map OF the disputed territory hangs on the
wall TO the right of the arbitrators. with
smaller map with the whole Of South Ameri-
ca beside It.
Altogether there were about forty persons
connected with the tribunal present The ar
bitrators and most OF their stan were
dressed in frock coats. There were less
than a dozen spectators In the portion or
the apartment roped of for the general pub
lie, and half a dozen women, including Mrs
Benjamin Harrison and others. belonging to
the American party. The arbitrators took
their seats soon after IL o'clock. Chief JUS
tce Melville Fuller and Sir Richard HEM
Collins lord justice OF appeals, sitting on
the right of Professor DE Martens. the um-
pire, and Baron Russell of Killowen, lord
chief justice of England, and Justice David
]. Brewer sitting at his left hand. Former
President BENJAMIN Harrison. Gen. b. r.
Tracy and the remainder or the Americans
sat at the tables at the left side OF the
room, facing the court. and the other Brit
ish representatives were seated at tables on
the right side. A feature of TIE proceeding
was that the coul,' eI used the desk which
served during the Bering seS tribunal delib-
erations-
The proceedings opened at 'l:20. when NJ.
Delcasse briefly addressed the tribunal In
French. He said 1t gave him special pleas
ure to welcome the high commission In be-
half of the government Of the republic,
which, he added, was greatly pleased at the
fact Paris had been chosen for the sitting
of the tribunal, among whom he saw suca
eminent men. some OF whom had occupied
| with distinction the highest positions.
Professor Martens replied. thanking the
French foreign minister for his welcome
and for the hospitality extended TO the ar
bitrators The professor announced the rules
of procedure agreed on at yesterdays con-
ference and said the arbitrators would meet
every day except Sundays.
Sir Richard Webster thereupon rose and
said that i'm order TO meet the views OF
former President Harrison and the other
| American counsel. in which the English
representatives concurred. he proposed that
| they only meet four days in the week In
view OF the extremely heavy work before
| them
| HARRISON GREETED WITH SMILES.
| Mr.. Harrison said he thought there would
| be in four days work enough for ordinary
men, and he met with a general smile as.
fI.A .f fxtrt. -
Great Britain and America. he added:
And We are all ordinary men," The work
before them. he added. would be tre-
mendous strain upon the counsel.
] Professor De Martens thereupor agreed
that four days work per week would be
sufficient arranging that the srbitrstors
would not met on Fridays, Saturdays or
| Sundays
| Sir Richard Webster asked: "As the
learned Professor De Martens Is going back
TO The Hague tonight what days does he
propose to give US next week.
| The professor replied that he hoped to
give them two days during the latter half
of next week and that he would write from
The Hague on Sunday. fixing the day Of
| his arrival.
After this Sir Richard Webster announces
| that counsel had arranged he should speak
first then the two Venezuelan counsel. next
| Great Britain. with possibly two counsel.
then Venezuela ard next Great Britain.
| The final speech was to be made by vene-
zuela.
sir Richard then opened the British case
He said 1t was a significant fact that vene-
zuela was represented by distinguished men
of the American republic. while America
| was represented on the bench by two Judges
of the very highest position. IL was =
| great honor for himself and his colleagues
| TO address such tribunal. The speaker
then paid tribute 10 Professor De Mar
tens, whose reputation was international.
| and said: Il shall probably have TO say
much with which my friends disagree. but
| am sure they will extend TO Us the cour-
tesy OF forbearance. which we desire to ex-
tend to them and which is customary be-
| tween counsel in these cases"
Continuing. Sir Richard said he only In
| tended TO touch upon the general topics un-
derlying the whole discussion, and pro-
ceeded TO give a brief geographical and his
torical review of the whole question. GO
ing back TO the time OF Columbus In the
course OF his remarks he said be regarded
| the treaty of Munster a most important
matter for the tribunal, as Great Britain
| ciaims Spain was not entitled 10 claim the
/ whole of the western world in view OF the
fact that she was established In the position
| OF the Dutch. lie presumed American coun-
sci took an utterly different view OF the
construction OF both the Munster and
| Utrecht treaties and thought the arxu-
ments advanced by American counsel were
| not characterized by that breadth which
might be expected from such eminent coun-
sci.
The representative OF Great ritain then
! took up the terms Of the treaty OF arbttra-