Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-06-06
RUSSlA'S PROPOSALS
An Outline of Her Scheme for Med
iation and Arbitration.
METHOD OF SETTLING DISPUTES.
All Tenders of Aid Must Ne in the
Character of Friendly COun-
decentralization Ehicncious
and Equitable.

The Hague, May 81. Vaderland
prints the text of the Russian proposals
regarding mediation and arbitration.
Part deals with the desirability of
seeking solution of international dis
putes by the mediation of friendly pow
ers and sets forth that such good offices.
whether sought or protfered, shall bear
strictly the character of friendly
counsel and in no way of compulsory
force.
Part deals with international arbi-
tration, which it declares 1.-The most
efficacious and equitable means of set
thing questions regarding the interna-
tional application of treaties" The
contracting powers, therefore, should
undertake to seek arbitration in such
cases, SO far as these affect neither vital
interests nor the national honor of the
parties in dispute. Then, after setting
forth that each state remains the sole
judge of what cases are SO to be submit
ted to arbitration, it is suggested that
large number of cases, such as ques-
tons of pecuniary damage and disa-
greememts in the application of treaties
or conventions affecting commercial,
postal, navigation, currency, sanitary
and copyright matters and the like, not
affecting vital interests or national
honor, are those in which arbitration
should be obligatory. In all other
cases, says the Russian scheme, arbitra-
ton, though recommended by the pres
ent act, can only be applied on the spon-
taneous initiative of one. of the parties
in dispute and with the express con-
sent of the other parties. The closing
clause pEovides as follows:
with a view of facilitating recourse to
arbitration, the signatory powers agree to
formulate common arrangement for the
employment of international arbitration
and for the fundamental principles to be
observed in drawing up rules of procedure
to be followed pending inquiry into the
dispute and the pronouncement of the ar
bitrators decision. The application OF
these principles and procedure may be
modified in virtue of special arrangements
between the states which may have re-
course to arbitration"
Inquiry Commission.
Part 3 deals with an international
commission of inquiry. 1t provides as
follows:
I'm cases of divergence causing interna.
tional litigation on local circumstances
which cannot be settled by ordinary dip
lomathc means. but do not involve honor
or vita! interests. the governments In
| terested agree to institute an internationa
commission of inquiry to Investigate i'm
partially al. questions of fact Each gov.
eminent interested shall appoint two me m.
5ers of the commission. These four shall
choose a fifth who shall be president OF
the commission. If the votes are divided
as to this. an appeal shall be made to an.
other government or to a third party TO ap
point a president.
After the investigation, the commits
sion shall submit a report signed by all the
members to the governments interested
| The report shall in no wise have tn,
| character of an arbitration Judgment, Blu
| shall leave the conflicting parties at full
! liberty either to conclude a friendly ar
| Management on the basis of said report o.
| to have recourse to arbitration by conclud
ing an agreement ad hoe. or else by re
| sorting to active measures allowable IL
| the mutual RELATIONS between nations"
Code of Arbitration.
The Russian proposals are followed
| by code of arbitration indicating pro
cedure on these lines:
THE states Interested that have ac
| cepted arbitration shall sign special ac
| of compromise clearly setting forth tn,
| questions TO be arbitrated and the full
| facts connected Herewith The compro
| mise thus concluded may provide for arbi
| tration upon the whole matter in disput,
| or upon points caItegorically determined
THE governments interested may en-
| trust the functions of arbitration either t,
| sovereign third power or to tribunal Of
| arbitration. Such tribunal shall be Sc
| lected in the same manner as commission.
| of inquiry: and, if difficulty arises in choos
| ing the fifth arbitrator as president tn,
| other powers shall be asked by common
| consent to appoint president
An Important Advance.
London, May 3l.-The correspondent,
| of the Standard ut The Hague saws;
AN important advance was made il
the direction of the scheme of arbitra
ton, combining the Russian, British
and American proposals. The repre-
sentatives of these nations arrived al
an agreement which seems to find gen
eral acceptance. Sir Julian Pauncefot,
conferred with Seth Low and Mr.. Hollis
and both the British and American pro
posals Were examined. with the resul,
| that the United States will support TIL,
| Pauncefote scheme for permanent