The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-10
ARBITRATION AND COMPROMISE.


ARBITRATION AND COMPROMISE.
The settlement of national difficulties
by arbitration, as opposed to that by
force of arms needs no advocates in
this day and age. The presidents sug-
gestion to leave the Chinese problem to
the international court at The Hague,
providing q satisfactory agreement can
not be arrived at among the repre-
sentatives Of the powers, will meet with
the hearty approval of the civilized
world.
Arbitration as a theory contemplates
q judgment on the facts, unbiased by
Interior considerations. In practice, ar
bitration means compromise. This is the
one weak point in practical arbitration.
1t is the weak point of the jury system.
1t is the weak point in the social system.
Politics and diplomacy are but series of
compromises. 1t may be possible, in
the present condition of human affairs,
that a compromise is as near as we can
come to the desired ideal. 1t is a
compromise or nothing The twelve
sword to determine the cause accord
ing to the law and the evidence, usu-
ally determine it according to their IN
dividual prejudices, modified by a com,
promise with the prejudices of the other
eleven. The verdict in a jury trial, in
nine cases out of ten, is the result of a
compromise.
A universal system of international ar
bitration would be all right if men were
absolutely honest and fearless. But they
are not. No man or set of men care to
offend powerful nation. They would
rather offend a weak one-the conse-
quences would be less embarrassing.
A powerful nation makes claims which
are repudiated by a smaller or weaker
rival The powerful nation offers to re-
fer the matter in dispute to arbitration.
The world applauds the magnanimous
offer.
There may be no foundation to the
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the inherent weakness of human nature
the champion of the weaker cause is
ready and willing to go before a court
Of arbitration, knowing that there is but
chances to gain something.
This was the consideration that led the
state department at Washington to re-
fuse to submit the Alaskan boundary
question to arbitration. Canada wished
to submit the dispute to such a board,
feeling that something would be gained
on the compromise theory.
Had the Transvaal succeeded in draw
ing Great Britain into an agreement to
submit the difficulties between the state
department and the government of the
Transvaal, including the mooted ques-
ton of British suzerainty, the TransvaaI
would have been the gamer. Kruger
might not have got all he contended for,
but today he would not be a fugitive,
vainly calling on continental Europe for
assistance. 1t is too late now to arbi-
trate the South African difficulties-noth-
ing will settle the difficulty but the ar
bitrament of arms.
Another difficulty in the practical work
ings of a court of arbitration is the i'm
possibility of getting necessary facts be-
fore the court. This was demonstrated
during the sittings of the Paris court
which decided the Boring sea dispute,
which by the way was another compro-
mise, distasteful to all parties concerned
illogical and unsatisfactory.
With all it's faults, arbitration is, how
ever, to be preferred to war, or even to
such delays as the world is now expert
encing in China.