The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-04-22
Good and Bad Losers.
The Triunfo Arbitration Puts Salvador
IN the Latter Class.

There are good losers and bad
losers. Among those who play for
stakes of any kind 1t IS an axiom that
to lose gracefully Is an indisputable
proof Of self-mastery and high
breeding. To lose ilI-naturedly Is
confession of weakness and churiish-
ness. OF all tests of character mona
IS more searching than the spirit in
which a loser faces the frowns of for.
tune.
We are led TO these reflections by
some mock heroics recently INDUCED
in by the Republic Of Salvador. That
tiny Central American state agreed
some years ago to settle by arbitration
q claim brought against It by the
United States. An arbitration com
mission was duly constituted, each
country naming All arbitrator, and
both accepting a distinguished Cana
dian jurist as the third member of
the court, Judgment was given final
~ against Salvador But the Saliva
dorian arbitrator, Dr. Pacas, precipi-
tated a scene by dissenting, with pas
sionate violence, from the opinion
handed down by his colleagues from
the United States and Canada; and
as a result Of his complaints and pro
testations the government Of Saliva
dor has for over a year past delayed
paying the commissions award,
We hear now from Central Ameri-
ca that the Judgment viii be liqui-
dated, though still with ueonceaIed
ill-grace- Before deciding to paw, the
Salvadorian authorities took counsel
Of General Regelado. an ex-president
Of the republic. That distinguished
warrior and statesman advised ac-
qUescence in the courts verdict,
though he condemned the verdict rs
unjust, vulgar, and unusual and as
rendered IN absolute disregard Of the
ilIustrious opinion Of the SaIvadorian
arbitrator, DR.. Paeas, whose powers
were brutally ignored by Messrs.
Dickinson and Strong"
But rude, iniquitous, and immor-
aT' as the decision was, 1t could not
be reversed or eyaded. So General
Regelado advised the REPUBLIC to 'burl
at the claimant a little gold with the
contemptuous manner of one who Is
disposing of something immaterial.
end thus not conceding an iota with
reference to his dignity or his rights"
We cannot altogether commend the
Regelado method of paying interna-
tional debts. Salvador could take a
lesson in dignity, in courtesy, and in
seIf-controI from Ltexico. which with
IN a year last lost an arbitration with
this country vastly more important
and costly than the so-caIled FL
Trunfo ease. But Mexico met de
feat at The Hague with true CastiIian
poise. She neither whimpered nor
clustered. In the lingo Of the sport
ing world. she did not chew the rag. -
She did not talk Of hurting gold" at
our heads. She politely and prompt
" announced her willingness to dis
charge her obligations
OF course, If Salvador prefers to
'-burT' her remittances at MS, we shall
| have to accept them rumpled and bat
tered But Mexico's methods appeal
to us as much more civilized and
much more decorous. Are not our
Salyadorian friends denying their
Spanish birthright2 Are they not
merely advertising their iucapacity 10
be good losers-to meet reverses.
after once trusting 10 fortune-with "a
cheerful temper and an unrualed
mind?