The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-03
INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION.
Action of The Hague Conference En-
dOrsed


1t is with satisfaction that I am able
to announce the formal notification at
/ The Hague, en- September (. of the de-
post OF Publications of the Convention for
the Pacific Settlement OF International
Disputes by sixteen Powers. namely. the
| United States, Austria, Belgium, Den
mark, England, France, Germany. Italy.
/ Persia, Portugal, Roumania. Russia. Siam.
| Spain, Sweden AID Norway. and she
| Netherlands Japan also has since rati-
/ fed the convention
The Administrative Council Of the Per
| manent Court of Arbitration has been or
ganized and has adopted rules OF order
ana constitution for the Internal fonal
Arbitration Bureau In accordance with
Article XXIlI of the Convention provid-
ing for the appointment by each signasary
power OF persons Of known competency in
| questions Of international law rs arbi-
traitors, ! have appointed as members CT
THIS court, Hon Benjamin Harrison Of
Indiana. ex-PTesident Of the United States;
Hon Melville W. Fuller, Of Illinois. Chief
Justice of the United States; Hon John
W. GTiggs, OF New Jersey, Attorney Gen
erai of the United States. and Hon George
Gray, Of Delaware, a judge OF the circuit
court Of the United States.
As an incident Of the brief revolution in
the Mosquito district of Nicaragua early
| IN 1888 the insurgents foTcibly collected
from American merchants duties upon
imports. On the restoration of order the
Nicaraguan authorities demanded q sec
ond payment CT such duties on the groUnd
that they were due 10 the tituIar Govern
ment and that their diversion had aided
the revolt
This position was not accepted by Us
After prolonged discussion a compromise
I Ito I'd
the second payments was deposited With
te British Consul at San Juan del Norte
trust until the two Governments should
determine whether the first payments had
been made under conpulSion to d de sacto
authority. Agreement as 20 this was not
reached, and the point was waived BY the
act Of the Nicaraguan Government IN re-
questing the British Consul 10 return the
deposits TO the merchants
Central American Affairs.
Menaeing differences between several of
the Central American States have been
accommodated, our Ministers rendering
good Offices toward an understanding.
The all-iuPortant matter OF an inter-
oceanic canal has assumed q new phase.
AdheriEg to its refusal TO reopen the
question CT 2he forfeiture OF the contract
of the Maritime Canal Company, which
was terminated for alleged nOnexecutiOa
in October 1893. the Government OF Mica
Tagua has since supplemented that action
by declaring the sO-styied Eyre-Cragin
option void for non-payment OF the stip-
ulated advance Protests in relation to
these acts have been fled in the state De-
partmeGt and are under consideration.
Deeming itself relieved from existing en-
gagements the NiCaraguan Government
shows a disposition TO deal freely with
the canal question either in the way Of
~
taking measures TO promote the water
way
Overtures for a convsation to effect the
building of canal under the auspices Of
the United States are under cOnsidera-
ton In the mean time, the views Of the
Congress upon the general subject. in the
light of the report Of the commission ap-
pointed to examine the comparative mer-
its of the various trans-isthmian ship
canal projects may be awaited.
I commend to the early attention Of the
Senate the Convention With Great Britain
TO facilitate the construction OF such a
canal and to remove any objection which
might arise out of the convention COM
monty called the CIaytOn-Bulwer Treaty
The lOng-standins contention with Por-
tugaI, growing out OF the seizure of the
Delagoa Bay Railway has been at last
determined by a favorable award of the
tribunal OF arbitration at BeTne, TO which
it was submitted The amount OF the
award, which was deposited IN London
awaiting arrangements by the Govern
ments of the United States and Great
Britain for its disposal, has recently been
paid over TO the two Governments.
A lately signed Convention Of Extradi-
ton with Peru as amended by the Senate
has been ratified by the Peruvian Con
gress-
Another Illustration of the policy OF this
Government to refer international dis
putes to impartial arbitration is seen in
the agreement reached with Russia TO
submit the claims on behalf Of american
sealing vessels seized in Boring Sea to
determination by Mr. T. NJ c. Asser, a
distinguished statesman and juTist Of the
Netherlands
Thanks are due to the imperial Russian
Government for the kindly aid rendered by
its authorities in eastern Siberia 10 Amer
lean missionaries fleeing from Manchuria.