The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-12-10
NEW LANGUAGE OF DIPLOMACY
Significance of the Adoption of English
 by The Hague Tribunal.

Significance of the Adoption of English by The Hague Tribunal
 One result of the Venezuelan block ade by England, Germany and Italy, undreamed of at the time, is the adop- tion of the English language by The Hague court of arbitration for use in
 the hearing of disputes. To the man in the street this may seem of slight inn portance, for he has not come in con- ] tact with the jealous opposition of the continent, and especially of France, to
 the use of any other language than French in diplomatic negotiations or in international arbitrations. But when { he is aware of the intrigues carried on and the determined efforts made to have French used exclusively or at least as the dominant tongue in the
 Venezuelan proceedings he will under stand how bitter,Was the struggle and how important was the question.
 It is not going too far to say that the | reason of the delay in the organization of the court may be traced 10 the de- sire of some of the interested powers to prevent the supremacy of the English. The selection of the president of the court is even said to have been due in part to the belief that he would advo- cate the employment of French. Pres sure was applied to the Venezuelan minister in Paris to induce him to ad- wise the court that his government ap- proved the use of French. When AM Murairev, the minister of justice of Russia and president of the court, went to Paris he made an explanation in re- gard to the attitude of the court with regard to the language question.
 The first step in behalf of the use of English was made by Herbert W. Bow en, minister to Venezuela, when, as the envoy of President Catsro's govern ment, he negotiated terms of peace with the allies. By Article ". of the protocol signed last May it was provid- ed that 'the proceedings shall be con ducted in the English language, but the arguments may, with the permission of the tribunal, be made in any other lan- guage also. !
 When the protocol with France was signed NJ. Jusserand, the French am- bassador in Washington, inserted clause designed to put the French lan- guage on an equality with the English. The delay in the organization of the tribunal is well known. France ap- proved of the selection of M. Murairev, as did the other powers, for the Russian minister is an exceptionally learned man and a we'll known advocate of ar- bitration. But France believed him also a firm supporter of her tongue, though it is well known that M. Murairev speaks good English.
 The tribunal was finally organized, and, to the dismay of the American counsel, 8 report reached them that the tribunal had determined to rule that French should be the official language of the court. MT. Bowen said to the court: "If the tribunal decide against the plain stipulation of the protocols the United States cannot be expected again to appeal to 1t, for the provisions of the conventions defining the scope of the disputes to be determined might not be observed" News of the letter of the Venezuelan minister to France saying his govern ment approved the use of French, also filed with the court, reached the ears of MT. Bowen. When the tribunal reas- sembled after he had obtained this in- formation he read cablegram from President Castro saying that the n1inis- ter had acted without authority and that MT. Bowen was the representative of Venezuela before the court.
 The tribunal retired for short peri cd, and on it's return the secretary gen.