The record-union., 1899-12-06
for the pacific adjustment of interna-

for the pacific adjustment of interna-
tional differences, subject in which
the American people have been deeply
interested for many years, and a de-
finite project for permanent interna-
tional tribunal was included in the in
structions to the delegates.
The final act of the conference in
cludes conventions upon the an1eliora-
ton of the laws and customs of war on
land, the adaptation to maritime war
fare of the principles of the Geneva
convention of 1864, and the extern
sion of judicial methods to international
cases. The convention for the pacific
settlement of international conflicts
embodies the leading features of the
American plan, with such notifications
as were rendered necessary by the
great diversity of views and interests
represented by the delegates. The four
titles of the convention provide for
maintenance of general peace, the exer-
else of good offices and mediation, the
/. formation of commissions of inquiry
and international arbitration
The mediation provided for by the
convention is purely voluntary and adj
visory and is intended to avoid any
invasion of limitation of the sovereign
rights of the adhering States. The
commissions on inquiry proposed con-
sist of delegations to be specifically con-
stituted for particular purposes by
means of conventions, but the contest
ing parties having for their object the
clear understanding of international
differences before resorting to the use
of force.
The provision for arbitration contem-
plates the formation of a permanent
tribunal before which disputed cases
may be brought for settlement by the
mutual consent of the litigants in each
separate case. The advantages of such
a permanent tribunal over impromptu
commissions of arbitration are con-
ceived to be the actual existence of a
competent court, prepared to admins
ter justice, the greater economic result
ing from a well devised system and the
accumulated judicial skill and expert
ence which such tribunal would soon
possess.
/ While earnestly promoting the idea
of establishing a permanent interna-
tional tribunal the delegation of the
United States was not unmindful of the
Inconvenience which might arise from
an obtrusive exercise of mediation, and
IN signing the convention carefully
guarded the historic position of the
United States by the following declara-
ton:
Nothing contained in this conven-
ton shall be so construed as to require
the United States of America to depart
from it's traditional policy of not in
truding upon, interfering with, or an
tangling itself in the political questions
or policy or internal administration of
any foreign State; nor shall anything
contained in the said convention be con-
strued to imply a REIMBURSEMENT by the
United States of America of it's tradi-
tional attitude toward purely American
questions"
Thus interpreted, the convention for
the pacific settlement of international
conflicts may be regarded as realizing
the earnest desire of great numbers of
American citizens, whose deep sense of
justice expressed in numerous resolu-
lions and memorials has urged them
to labor for this noble achievement.
The general character of this conven-
ton, already signed by the delegates of
more than twenty sovereign States,
further commends it to the favorable
action of the Senate of the United
States whose ratification it still awaits.