Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-27
WILL 60 TO THE hague COURT.

WILL 60 TO THE HAGUE COURT.
The European governments have
agreed 70 submit the Venezuelan dispute
to The Hague tribunal and Venezuela
is willing to have the claims against
her passed upon by that international
court Although not a signer of the
arbitration convention, that agreement
makes provision for the arbitration Of
controversies between signatory and non
~signatory powers. Article XVI Of the
convention says: THE International
bureau at The Hague is authorized to
put its Offices and its STAFF at the dis
pOsal Of the slgnatory powers, for the
performance Of the duties of any special
tribunal of arbitration. The jurisdiction
Of the permanent court may be ex-
tended, under conditions prescribed by
Its rules, to controversies existing be-
tween no~n-signatory powers, or between
signatory powers and non-signatory
powers, II the parties agree to submit
to its Jurisdiction" In urging that the
Venezuelan dispute be submitted to this
tribunal President Roosevelt acted in
conformity with the spirit of the arbitra-
ton convention, which made the inter
national court accessible to all countries
rather than to those only which signed
the convention. Created in the interest
Of peace, The Hague tribunal is open to
any government that may wish to have
a controversy with another government
submitted to arbitration.
Our government having proposed that
the Venezuelan dispute be taken to The
Hague court, the acceptance by the
European governments is particularly
gratifying. 1t very greatly simplifes the
situation and 1t is not probable that
any new complications will arise. 1t is
stated that the Monroe doctrine will not
be involved in the arbitration and GER
tainly there Is no reason why it should
be. The course of the European govern
ments in dealing with Venezuela has not
been such as to call for the application
Of that doctrine and those governments
have very explicitly declared that they
had no intention to contravene 1t. On
the other hand, our government has dis
tinctly said that the doctrine cannot be
invoked to shield a country that refuses
to pay its just debts from such coercive
measures on the part Of creditors to
collect the debts as are held to be legiti-
mate and which do not involve the
taking of territory. This is now fully
understood and it is perfectly clear that
the Monroe doctrine does not enter into
the matter and has no bearing whatever
upon the controversy.
1t Is said to be the feeling at Wash
ington that u government should insist
upon the blockade being called of while
arbitration is In progress. The Euro
pean governments will act wisely II
they shall suspend the blockade without
being asked to do Sc, as they could
hardly find justifying reasons for main
tanning it after having submitted their
claims to arbitration. Manifestly under
such circumstances 1t would be most I'M
Just to neutral countries to continue the
blockade and besides nothing would be
gained by doing so, but on the contrary
1t would be a losing policy, since the
effect would be to lessen venezuela's
ability to pay, In the event Of the award
being against her. When the European
governments have taken their claims
into court coercive measures should be
abandoned and probably this will be
done.