New-York tribune., 1902-12-27
DELICATE TASK REMAINS
arbitration Protocol To Gndrd
Ame7iican Interests Carefully.
TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBUNE.I


Washington Dec. 26.-President Roosevelt
will not have to undertake personally the on
erous and thankIess task of arbtrating the
controversy between the European powers and
Venezuela although he will fix the terms Oh
arbitration under which the whole matter VIII
be sent to The Hague tribunal. wnere the
President acting the advice OF secretary
Hay who has so contended from the nrst' mas
decided that it properly belongs ihe IorInal
agreement of reference to the permanent IN
ternational tribunal has not yet been en@leu
into but it is believed by the administrator
that the signing of the protocol In washington
will not be long delayed. as Venezueia OH 'iie
ono side and Great Britain. Germany and Italy
on the other have all given the Freslueh' -
understand that they willing to adopt MS
suggestion that the dispute shall De settleo oS
The Hague Court.
-rbis o,,+con3e of the situation is regarded as
q distinct triumph for American diplomacy, out
tho State Department still has dif1cult anu
delicate task before it. When the governments
concerned formally agree on The hague III
buna1 II will be necessary TO draw up proIo-
col setting forth exactly the questions 10 Oe
submitted to arbitration, and imposing Ie9IiiO
tions which will make it certain tnat 'le gu
will not go outside of these limitations
government of the United States Is 'i'oiy IL
+aas+sd in the terms Of this protocol IL Is
5r,ad essential that nothing in it shall be
capabie of being construed so as 10 give '"e
tribunal any ground for calling the NAohAo0
Doctrine into question. or passing on us v"
rdity in any form. On the main questioh ol
international law involved. the CalVo Doctrlle'
which would exclude governments from the
right to intervene to protect the Interests
their nationals in foreign countries the United
Fur
will not want anything put into the protocoi
which can nrevent The Hague tribunal from
considering that doctrine. and once for all de-
cIarins that ii has no place in the law OF ma
tions.
The administration will be interested IN nav
ing the protocol drawn as to protect ven
ezueIa as far as possible from exorbtant Claims
and from hard conditions as TO the tiilie anu
method of payment. In the matter OF the Ger
man demand for d large cash payment as
precedent to the reference of the German ciaiAlS
TO arbitration. it may be possible Tor the 0'a'e
Dapartn,ent to procure a provision in the pro-
tocoI which will offset this demand against the
action of the German naval commander IN SINK
int, the Venezuelan naval vessels wh1ch ne
captured The influence of this government VIII
also be excrted to prevent Venezuela from DeinS
saddled with judgments for e1orbitant amounts
| to reimburse the allies for the expenses in
| CURED in their joint naval demonstration
While the administration is giving much con-
| sideration 20 the conditions ana limitations
| under which the arbitration Will be carried OIL
no formal action has yet been taken III tie
direction of drawing up the protocol Ihls Will
not he done until after the formal agreenent 10
| refer the controversy to The Hague tribunal mas
been made. The final pfotocol VIII pFooooIy oe
betuaen Venezuela and the European powers,
but the United States will have charge or all
the preliminary negotiations on behaf or ven
ezueia and the administration will probably be
able to shape the protocol so as to make IL en-
tireIv satisfactory to the United States