The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-12-20
VENEZUELAN ARelrRArIoN

VENEZUELAN RRBi ! RA TON.
The reported offer of President
Castro to submit the British and Ger
man claims TO arbitration brings into
view the necessary corollary of the
Monroe doctrine. IT. under thai doc
trine, the Latin-American nations can
evade international responsibility. by
being protected against the final re
suits of war In The alienation of ter
ritory to any Old Wo Id power they
assume a position which the world
will not endure.
It was doubtless in view of the pos
sibilities of the Monroe doctrine that
Calvo, the Argentinean. evolved his
novel system of international law.
Since the publication of his work the
ltruculence of the Lahn.American ma
tions has been much increased. Calvo
sought to establish the principle that
each nation shall be final judge Of it's
treatment OF The nationals Of other
comtriesh. If their personal or
property rights were invaded they
must look TO the courts of the country
in which they were domiciled for re-
dress, and mu-t abide by the decision
of such courts. without redress or ap-
peal Following the announcement Of
this reversal of the principles of in
re, national law, some of those ma
lions pa sed laws to the effect that
no foreigner could plead denial Of jus
tice. no matter how partial or corrupt
might be the decision against him
Others proposed laws TO make /.
felony for thoir own citizens to fur
nish testimony in favor of an alien
claimant or to appear for such claim
ant as attorney It vii be seen a.
once that the sy tenn p opposed 10 be
built upon the novel theories of Calyo
would introduce and sact2y prac
tees that are not permitted to any OF
the oriental au.ocracies, and that have
been punished when attempted by the
yrannical sultanates Of North Africa
To let such a system Of international
law grow up on this hemisphere. un-
der the shelter of the Monroe doc
tgine, would be to make of that doc
ltrine the refuge Of principles ihal be-
long in the far past and are part Of
the remote history Of the race. when
civilization was restrained by denial
of that intercourse between the peo-
lplas Of different nations which is now
recognized as a prime facto, in the
progress Of mankind.
Civilized international law the
common law of intercourse and con
tact between differeu1 peoples; the
law luminously reasoned out by
Grotius, vattel, Puffondorf, and the
English and American writer's who
have followed them. has shed i'3
, benedcent influence no. only upon .he
Intercourse of nations. but has most
importantly affected for good the do
nestle statutes OF the civilized ma
tions The sacredness o fpersonal
rights has been protected by d. and
The nviolability Of property rights
has been established as The mos; nee
essary principle in the material well
being Of the nations
II is wen that the novelties Of Cal
vo have been cancelled by The
Hague tribunal, for That rescues the
Monroe doctrine from the baae tune
.ttp 60 a principle tc 90 eoC the de
nial - personal AMI p-, .c-.i rights 10
aliens domiciled in Latin America.
Arbitration ex-ricates the Unite I
States from a most delicate and diff
: hcult situation. as the hegamOn OF
this hemisphere.a Whether Castro
OFFER to arblnate Is in time to end
peacefully the existing status in
Venezuela is another matter. Arbl
traliou. whenever entered upon, must
be understood 10 be an effective pro-