Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-15
HAS NOT BEEN A FAILURE
II
Reports Regarding the Joint Commission
DUdsd.u
O. Il
Some Important Agreements Reached
Americans Have Yielded Some
Valuable fonsls.ions.

Whether or not the Negotiations looking
to the settlement of the dozen or more is
sues between the United States and Canada
by means of the joint commission now in
session here will ultimately fail entirely
CAN scarcely be foretold at this moment
But regardless of the outcome 1t can be
stated on authority that the American COM
missioners have not. as represented, re-
fused the concessions asked by the Cana
dams.
On the contrary, the American commits
sioners have listened with the greatest pa
thence for the past six months to every
argument that the Canadians cared to pre-
sent in support of the important conces-
sions they desired, and so far from refus-
ing these the Americans have granted
some of the most important concessions
that it is admitted are so broad as to make
it difficult for the American commissioners
to assure themselves of the support of
their government and Congress in allowing
1t is said further, and this statement is
borne out by the open declarations of the
officials of both the United States and Can
ada, that while a number of propositions
nearly all of Importance, were agreed upon
by the two governments Canada acting
with the sanction of Great Britain in the
matter, as proper subjects to be considered
by the joint commission with a view to
their inclusion in the projected treaty or
series of treaties, 1t Was not expected al
though, Of course, it was hoped that final
agreement would be reached on al! of these
subjects
Important Agreements Reached.
Just such state of affairs as that ex-
pected has apparently been reached in the
joint negotiations by the commission
Agreements have been reached on some
questions of the first Importance matters
that have been the cause Of constant fric-
ton between the United States and Canada
for very many years.
On some other questions the commission
ers have not been able to get together; it is
even probable that they never will The
question is, whether, in view of this partial
agreement, the two governments will con-
slider 1t worth while to attempt to base a
treaty on those matters that have already
been agreed upon The commissioners are
not bound to do this unless they see fit for
of course, it Is understood that In such ne
gotiations there must be always more or
less trading" in other words, concessions
must be made by one party on one point to
secure concession by the second party on an
other, and 1t remains to be seen whether
both the United States and Canada will re-
gard the agreement so far reached as con-
stituting a balance of the objects desired
by each
A One-Sided Session.
Today's session of the commission was q
one-sided affair After a few minutes in
Joint session, the BRUSH members retired
and the Americans remained half an hour
longer than usual In conference. This i'm
medately set afooto the report that the
British side had presented an ultimatum
which was being considered by the Ameri-
can commissioners. g. This was in general
line with the story telegraphed this morn
ing from London that thes negotiations had
entirely fallen through. After the session,
however, a prominent member of the com,
mission, whose attention called to the
London dispatch, expressed surprise and
declared that there was no truth either in
this or in the report that an ultimatum had
been presented today. '9The negotiations
were, he said in a critical stage, but there
was no reason to believe that they had
at present.