Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-07
AGAINST VENEZUELA,
How Employment of Force For
Collection Was Abandoned.

1t VIII be remembered that during the
second session ~ the last Congress
Great Britain, Germany and Italy
formed an alliance for the purpose OF
blockadlng the ports OF Venezuela and
using such other means Of pressure az
would secure settlement Of claims
due. as they alleged, 10 certain Of their
subjects Their employment Of force
for ,he collection Of these claims was
terminated by an agreement brought
about through the offices Of the diplo-
matte representatives OF the United
States at Caracas and the govern
ment at Washington, thereby ending n
situatio which was bound to cause IN
creasing friction, and which iooparded
the peace Of the continent. Under this
agreement Venezuela agreed to get
apart certain percentage Of the Gus
toms receipts of two Of her ports 10 be
applied to the payment Of whatever OBJ
legations might be ascertained by mixed
commissions appointed for that purpose
TO be due from her not only TO the
three Iowers already mentioned, whose
proceedings against her had resulted IN
n state OF war, but also tn the United
states France. Spain, Belgium. the
Netherlands. Sweden and Norway, and
Mexico. who had not employed force for
the collection Of the claims alleged to
De due to certain Of her citizens.
DEMAND OF BLOCKADfNG POW
ERS.
A demand was then made by the So
called blockading powers that the sums
ascertalned TO be due 10 their citizens
by such mixed commissions should be
accorded payment in full before any
thing was paid upon the claims OF any
OF the so-called peace powers, Nene-
zuela, ON the other hand, insisted That
all her creditors should be paid upon n
basis Of exact equality.
REFERRED TO PRESIDENT.
During the efforts to adjust this dis
pute Il was suggested by the powers
in interest that II should be referred To
me for decision. but ! was clearly OF
the opinion that a far wiser course
would be to submit the question To
the permanent court of arbitration az
The Hague. II seemed to me to oiief
an admirable opportunity to advance
the practise OF the peaceful settles
ment Of disputes between nations ana
to secure for The Hague tribunal
memorable increase Of It's practical i'm
portance. The nations interested in the
controversy were 80 numerous ana IN
many instances 90 powerful az To make
Il evident that benehcent results would
follow from their appearance at the
same time before the bar of that aug
ust tribunal of peace
ARBITRATION TRIBUNAL,
our hopes In that regard have been
realized. RNsla and Austria are repre-
scented IN the persons OF the learned
and distinguished jurlsts who CONF
pose the tribunal white Great Britain,
Germany, France, Spain, Italy Bel
GUM, the Netherlands, Sweden and
Norway Mexico, the United States and
Venezuela are represented by their re-
spectlVe agents and counsel Such an
imposing concourse of nations present
ing their arguments to and invoking
the decision Of that high court Of in
ternational Justice and international
peace can hardly fail to secure like
submission of many future controver-
sizes. The nations now appearing there
Will find Il far easier to appear there
q second time, while no nation can inn
aglne it's just pride viii be lessened by
following the example now presented.
This triumph OF the principle OF in
ternationa arbitration is a subject Of
warm congratulatlon and offers a happy
augury for the peace Of the world
THE HAGUE COURT.
There seems good ground for the be-
lief that there has been real growth
among the civilized nations OF senti-
ment which viii permit a gradual sub
stitution of other methods than the
method of war In the settlement IL dis
putes II IL not pretended that as yet
we are near a position In which Il viii
be possible wholly TO prevent war, or
that Just regard for national interest
and honor viii In all cases permit OF the
settlement of international disputes by
arbitration; but by mixture OF pru-
dence and firmness with wisdom we
think II If possible 90 do away with
much OF the urovocatlon ana excuse
for war, ana at least In many cases to
substitute some other and more ration
al method for the settlement ct dis
putes The Hague court offers so good
an example OF what can be done In the
direction of such settlement that Il
should be encouraged In every way.
Further steps should be taken,