The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-24
Important Meeting of the Cabinet Held Yesterday to
 Consider Question
MONROE DOCTRINE NOT ID
 60 ID HAGUE TRIBUNAL
Crucial Point Before the Arbitration Is the Famous "Calno Doctrine"
 Which Leaves Settlement to
 Local Venezuelan Courts.

Washington, December 2o.-1ne heeeih5 of the cabinet today was prolonged to more than two hours the discussion of the Venezuelan situation and the proposed plans for settlement of the trouble by arbitration consuming practically the en- tire session. All the members were pres ent except Secretary Moody, who is out of the city.
 Secretary Root was the first to arrive at the executive office. He entered the Presidents office shortly after 10 o'clock President Roosevelt denied himself to all callers and remained in consultation with the secretary of war until the arrival of the other members.
 Secretary Hay brought to the meeting practically nothing new as to the situa- tion No response has been received to the Presidents original suggestion to the powers that the consent to the reference of the Venezuelan question to The Hague tribunal, and no formal request has been received for the President to act as arbi- trator of the difficulty. That such re- quest will be received formally and off, cially is now practically assured. It is known that the President and all the members of his cabinet at first preferred that the whole vexatious questions should be referred to The Hague tribunal.
 Would Appoint Board.
 It is understood that the Presidents plan, if he determines to arbitrate, con- templates the appointment of board or arbitrators He would not confde this important undertaking to any one man, nor does he feel able himself to spare the vast amount of time necessary for an examination in detail of each of the many claims that would be presented against Venezuela. Necessarily the Presidents own beard would include some members of q high order of legal talent, as well as others thoroughly versed in the pracr tice of international law It is said that the crucial point before the arbitration is the famous "Calvo doctrine" This doctrine, which was laid down by the greatest of Latin-American international lawyers, and for very many years has been regarded as beyond question by all of the Latin-American republics, denies the right of any nation to intervene di- plomatically in behalf of one of it's sub jects where the courts of the country are open to his application for justice. Thus Venezuela has asserted that all of these claimants, British, German, Italian and French, might have gone before the Ven ezuelan courts and if their causes had been just and so decided by the courts, the government would have paid the judg- ments. The objection to this view is that no account is taken of miscarriages of justice and of racial antiquities
 Have Gone Too Far.
 But so determined gre the South Ameri- can countries to adhere to this doctrine that some of them have gone to extra ordinary lengths in their resistance of diplomatic efforts of foreign governments to fOr A otoh h1a case is that of Salvador. Recently a United States corporation obtained after arbitration a judgment against the govV ernment of Salvador The verdict was received with intense indignation in Sal vador, and so intense was the anti-for- eign feeling excited that law has been passed within the last few weeks making 1t a criminal offence, with heavy punish ment attached for a Salvador,an to give any evidence whatever before any court in behalf of foreign claim damages against the Salvadorian government. This doctrine will be on trial before the arbitration and because of it's vast i'm portance if President Roosevelt appoints a board he will see that the members are men of the highest calibre
 It is known that some members of the cabinet are opposed to r>ferring the mat to The Hague tribunal for these req sons:
 several hedSOnS OIVen.
 Tn the first place they have no desire to submit the Monroe dictrine to the orbi- trament of any non-American tribunal, not even excepting the august and emil nently fair tribunal of The Hague. They very much prefer that if this doctrine Is to be the subject of arbitration, it Is to be eveu brought incidentally, that American influences shall pass on it. Not that the fairness of The Hague arbitrators is im-
 .F ofaf European and monarchial interests, it Is realized that their training mfay be re- garded as unsympathetic where they are required to deal with such essentially an Americans subject as the Monroe doctrine. It is true that on its face the arbitration proposal contains nothing that indicates that this doctrine is to be attacked, but so complex and numerous are the questions which will come before the arbitration board that it is appre- hended here that the famous doctrine scarcely can be kept from consideration.
 Another reason that animates the cab met In this inclination towards accept- ance Is their conviction that an inordi- nate length of time would be consumed if the issue is taken before The Hague tribunel. The machinery is sufficieit but ponderous and difficult to put in motion. ssIcirst there must be arranged a basis of arbitration, then arbitratcrs must be se- lected by the parties to the case and these in turn may choose an umpire of umpires, and while all this is going on, the blockade would continue with its ever present danger of active hostilities and f1oodshed that might render nugatory all attempts at arbitration. On the other hand, if the President undertakes the settlement he can get rid of all tape and start the work of arbitration within a few days.