Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-12-23
ROOSEVELT HAS
ID NOT ACCEPTED.
|.,y,tHs ia, Not Bee" Formally
: Asked to be Arbitrator
p,yoss HAGUE TRIBUNAL
"a be ArbI,rased should be
"'" ~ 10 IL Gratlfied at Accepts
.epripeipIe Of Arbitration

,,.s,on Dec, %. = President
was" .', has not accepted the position
:, arbitrator Of the Venezuelan m. eonuo :,
d -" IN fact when the official day
s s'o,sd he had not received formally ,as Or
s .s,olslly request from the European
Oosers that he act as arbitrator o. ~ ' ne
S'sDute. These statements are mace On
,hs highest authority ..,,.
IN an informal manner the president
-, hssu notified that the European
powers intimately Concerned ,,,'s,s,, IN , the
, pus South American difficulty desire
p ,s., ss should undertake the respon-
',5Illty Of acting as arbitrator OF the
s ,a =, ,ssue between them and Ven
p p,'aIs. Thus far they merely nave
sssn taking "soundlngs, WIN a view,
pp seh Of ascertalning how he would
p gsSeIye a formal proffer to act az arpl-
traitor. soon no he receiyed
Z.
az A., intlmatlon that he was desired
lne ~ asbl,rator OF the Venezuelan con-
~ ~ s expressed emphatically that
,hs matters to be arbltrated should pe
we n 10 The Hague tribunal, HIS
isas ,rs ~ the suggestions made have
,a aem, conveyed 10 the European powers,
a,he, 9Th strong presentation OF
we raosons for the view he holds. No
p vssponse Of a formal nature to these
,enrssentations has been received,
Tbo president and Secy, Hay had a
Law conference today after the for
, ,oos return from his Virginia trip.
T M carefully went over the situation
a. 10 !, bad developed since Saturday, but
q, l. understood that nothing has arisen
during the past forty-eight hours to
warrant the president In changing ms
oninIon as 10 the undesirability OF his
srcentance Of the position OF arbitrator
so ,ar as can be learned. no specific
,sasons have been advanced by the Eu-
ronean powers for Directing TO a REFER
trca Of The Venezuelan questions to
he arbitration OF The Hague tribunal.
II Is held by the administration that
,ha tribunal at The Hague was con-
elmted 10 arbitrate Just such contro-
versIes as that which has arisen be-
tween Venezuela and the powers, ana
hat II would be desirable from every
view point that the present dispute
should 90 to that tribunal for adjudi'
cation.
How strong are the objections which
the allied powers have to reference
OF the Venezuelan difficulty to The
Hague tribunal is not known to the
administration at this time. Even the
status Of the objectlons,lf there be any,
is not known. The negotiations looking
10 the selection OF an arbitrator have
not progressed sufficiently yet TO de-
velop such objections as the powers
may have
The acceptance by the powers OF the
n.inciple OF arbitration as applied to
,he Venezuelan question Is a matter o.
great qualification to the president and
his cabinet That all the powers have
intImated. too, that they would prefer
the president should arbltrate the pres
ent dispute Is taken as a notable COM
pliment to the president personally and
to his administration. II Is the hope OF
both the president and his advisers
however that while there Is precedent
for his acceptance of the post Of arbl-
traitor the powers will consent to
reference Of the controverted matters IN
the Venezuelan question TO the tribunal
at The Hague
While Il Is recognized by the presi-
dents closest advisers, and by the
president himself. that some unpleasant
possIbiItle might attend his perform
ance Of the duties OF arbitrator Of the
pending Venezuelan difficulty, his
friends assert that he will shirk no re-
sponsibllity that he may deem It his
duty to undertake but will accept II the
powers should insist on II. though he II
very reluctant TO do so.