Evening star., 1900-12-03

der. and fair commerce in the Far East the
| influence of Japan can hardly be overesti-
mated.
| The valuable aid and kindly courtesies ex-
tended by the japanese Government and
naval officers to the battle ship Oregon are
gratefully appreciated.
Complaint was made last summer OF the
discriminatory enforcement of bubonic
quarantine against Japanese on the Pacific
coast and of interference with their travel
in California and Colorado under the health
laws of those States. The latter restric-
tions have been adjudged by a Federal
court to be unconstitutional No recur-
renee of either cause Of complaint is appre-
nended.
No noteworthy incident has occurred in
our relations with our important southern
neighbor Commercial intercourse with
Mexico continues to thrive, AMI the two
Governments neglect no opportunity to f"s-
ter their mutual interests IN all practicable
ways.
Pursuant to the declaration of the Su-
preme Court that the awards of the late
Joint Commission in the La Abra and Well
claims were obtained through fraad. the
sum awarded in the first case, $4O3O.O 0S,
has been returned to Mexico. and the
amount of the Well award will be returned
in like manner.
A Convention indefinitely extending the
time for the labors of he United States
and Mexican International (Water) Boun-
dairy Commission has been signed.
THE HAGUE PEACE CONVENTION.
1t is with satisfaction that l able 10
announce the formal notification at The
Hague, on September 4. of .he deposit Of
r. -
cifc Settlement of International Disputes
by sixteen Powers. namely, the United
States, Austria, Belgium. Denmark. Eng-
land. France, Germany Italy. Persia. Por-
tugal, Roumania, Russia, Siam. Spain,
Sweden and Norway, and the Netherlands.
Japan also has since ratified the Conven-
ton.
The Administrative Council OF the Per
manent Court of Arbitration has seen Or
ganized and has adopted rules Of order and
a constitution for the InterEa tional Arbi
tration Bureau. In accordance with Article
XIII of the Convention providing for the
appointment by each signatory power CT
persons of known competency in questions
OF international law arbitrators, l have
appointed as members Of this Court, Hon.
Benjamin Harrison, of Indiana, ex- Presi
dent of the United States; Hon Melville w.
Fuller, of Illinois, Chief Justice Of the
United States; Hon. John ". Griggs. Of
New Jersey, Attorney-General of the United
States; and Hon. George cray, Of Della
ware, 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
1899 the insurgents forcibly collected from
American merchants duties upon imports.
On the restoration OF order the Nicaraguan
authorities demanded second payment of
such duties on the ground that they were
due to the titular government and that
their diversion had aided the revolt.
This position was not accepted by us.
After prolonged discussion compromise
was effected under which the amount of
the second payments was deposited with
the British consul at San Juan del Norte
in trust until the two governments should
determine whether the first payments had
been made under compulsion to a de facto
authority. Agreement as to this not
reached. and the point was waived by the
act Of the Nicaraguan government in re-
questing the British consul to return the
deposits to the merchants
Menacing differences between several Of
the Central American States have been ac-
commodated, our ministers rendering good
offices toward an understanding.
The all-important matter of an interocean-
ic canal has assumed new phase. Ad-
herring to its refusal to reopen the ques-
tion of the forfeiture Of the contract Of
the Maritime Canal Company, which was
| terminated for alleged nonexecution in Oc-
tober, 1899, the Government of Nicaragua
has since supplemented that action by de-
claring the so-styled Eyre-Cragin option
void for nonpayment Of the stipulated ad-
vance Protests in relation to these acts
have been filed in the State Department and
are under consideration. Deemng itself
relieved from existing engagements, the
Nicaraguan Government shows a disposi-
ton to deal freely with the canal question
either in the way of negotiations with the
United States by taking measures to
promote the waterway
Overtures for convention to effect the
building of a canal under the auspices Of
the United States are under consideration
| In the meantime, the views Of the Congress
upon the general subject, in the light of
| the report of the Commission appointed to
examine the comparative merits of the va
rious trans-Isthmian ship-canal projects,
may be awaited.
/ 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 common
ly called the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty.
The long standing contention with Portu-
gal, growing out of the seizure Of the Della
goa Bay Railway. has been at last deter
mined by a favorable award OF the tribu-
nal Of arbitration at Berne, to which it
was submitted The amount Of the award,
which was deposited in London awaiting
arrangements by the Governments of the
United States and Great Britain for its dis
posal, has recently been paid over to the
two Governments.
A lately signed Convention Of Extradi-
tion with Peru as amended by the Senate
has been ratified by the Peruvian Congress
gress.
Another illustration of the policy Of this
government to refer international disputes
to impartial arbitration is seen in the
agreement reached with Russia to submit
| the claims on behalf of American sealing
vessels seized in Bering Sea to determina-
ton by Mr.. T. M. c. Asser. distinguished
statesman and jurist of the Netherlands.
Thanks to fha IvoD