The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-01
Arbitration Projects.

AlbibidIAOh 1bOJSSbS
Dispatches from The Hague, notably
those printed in the New York SUM-
give hopeful news as to the progress
which is being made by the leading
delegates 10 the peace congress toward
the "hammering out" of a workable
project for international arbitration.
Great Britain, Russia and the United
States seem to be in approximate ac-
cord as to the need of permanent in
ternational tribunal, and the differences
of opinion as to details ought not, one
would think, to be irreconcilable.
The proposition OF Russia, if cor
rectly reported, is in substance that
arbitration he made obligatory for dit-
ferences concerning pecuniary dam
ages to a state or it's dependencies re-
sulting from vital facts of negligence
by another state or its dependencies;
also in cases of disagreements regard
ing Interpretations or the application or
the following treaties or conventions:
Postal tCleeraphs, railways, submarine
cables, for the prevention Of collisions
tion, international foods and inter-
oceanic canals, for the protection or
literary and artistic property, for the
protection of industrial propety. includ-
ing inventions. trademarks, CONNER
cial marks and names; monetary, sani-
tary, veterinary, and phylloXera con-
ventions for judicial and mutual as
sistance in technical and not political
demarcatons. Each contracting party
an,with others, agree for extending this
list. Concerning international commits
sions, each interested government shall
nominate two members, and these four
shall choose the fifth member,who shall
preside. If the vote is equal the two
governments shall ask third power
or disinterested private person to
select the president.
The British plan, instead Of contem-
plating the selection of special COM
mission or tribunal for the adjudication
of each case, would constitute a per-
manent court, to have it's headquarters
in a neutral place, say Berne, The
Hague or Brussels, and to be made up
of two members representing each of
the nations agreeing to share in it's
creation. From this list of members,
or judges, the two parties to a dispute
might choose an equal number, the
judges thus chosen to select their own
president judge; the expenses of such
a court to be divided equally among
the signatory powers. The details of
the American plan have not been
divulged, but it is not probable that
they differ radically from those of the
plan of Great Britain In fact, it is
reported that our delegates are COM
mitted in a general way to the support
of the English proposition. which is
largely the work of the British ambas-
sador to the United States, Sir Julian
PaunCefote.
The most serious objection to the per-
manent tribunal idea, if appearance
before it be made compulsory as Rus
sia suggests, is offered by the Cologne
Gazette, which points out that when
ever there were signs that great war
was approaching it would be found i'm
practicable for the representatives Of
the powers concerned to disclose the
secrets of their governments at arbi-
tration deliberations, and neither could
they on the other hand keep the atti-
tude of their governments or possible
alliances secret from each other. This
is an objection however, that does not
affect the United States. And if it
should affect Germany or the other con-
tinental powers in matters of political
controversy 1t need not necessarily bar
the way to the arbitration of questions
of pecuniary claims or questions of
treaty interpretations 1t is we'll
enough understood that there are diff
ferences not suited to arbitration at
the present stage of the worlds de-
velopment; but if the habit be formed
of permitting peaceful adjudication
of differences which could just as well
as not De referred TO an international
tribunal It will help toward the re-
moyal OF obstacles to a complete ap-
pication of the principle of pacific ar
bitration.