The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-07
VENEZUELAN CLAIMS
Their Disposal Step Toward Inter-
national Arbitration. -

1T will be remembered that during
the second session of the last con-,
gress Great Britain, Germany and
italy formed an alliance for the: pur--
pose of blockading the ports of Vene-%
zuela and using such other means OF
pressure as would secure settlement
Of claims due, as they alleged, to Ger
tain of their subjects Their en-
ployment Of force for the collection
Of these claims was terminate /. by an
agreement brought about thru the
offices Of the diplomatic representa-
tiyes o fthe United States at Caracas
and the government at Washington.
thereby ending a situation which was
bound to cause increasing fr1ctlOn,
and which jeojardized the peace Of
the continent. Under this agreement
Venezuela agreed to etzapart a Ger
tain percentage of the customs re-
ceipts Of two of her ports to be. ap-
piled to the payment Of whatever OBJ
legations might be ascerta1ned by
mixed commissions appointed for that
purpose to be due from her., not only
to the three powers already men
toned, whose proceedings against her
had resulted in state Of war, but
also to the United States, France,
Sweden and Norway, and Mexico,
who had not employed force for the
collection Of the claims alleged to be
due to certain Of their citizens.
A demand was then made by the
so-called blockading powers that the
sums ascertained to be due to their
citizens by such mixed commissions
should be accorded payment in full
before anything was paid upon the
claims of any of the so-ca1led peace
powers. Venezuela, on the other
hand, insisted that all her creditors
should be paid upon a basis of exact
equality. During the efforts to adjust
this dispute it was suggested by the
powers in interest that it should be
referred to me for decision, but was
clearly Of the opinion that far wiser
course would be to submit the ques-
ton to the permanent court of arbi-
| tration at The Hague. It seemed to
me to offer an admirable opportunity
to advance the practice Of the peace
full settlement of disputes between ma
| tions and to secure for The Hague
1 tribunal memorable increase of its
practical Importance. The nations
interested in the controversy were sc
numerous and in many instances sc
powerful as to make it evident thai
| beneficent results would follow from
| their appearance at the same time be.
| fore the bar of that august tribunal o,
/ peace.
! Our hopes in that regard have beer
realized. Russia and Austria are rep
resented in the persons of the learned
and distinguished jurists who com
pose the tribunal, while Great Brit
ain, Germany, France, Spain, Italy
Belgium, the Netherlands, swede1
and Norway, Mexico, the Unfte'
i States and Venezuela are represente,
Il by their respective agents and coun
sci. Such an imposing concourse o
nations presenting their arguments t
and invoking the decision of that higl
court Of international justice and in
. ternational peace can hardly fail t
secure a like submission of many fu
ture controversies. The nations no,
appearing there will find it far easie
. to appear there a second time. whil
. no nation can imagine it's just prid
will be lessened by following the e2
ample now presented. This trump
. of the principle of international arb
j tratfon is a subject Of warm congrat
ulation and offers happy augur
81 for the peace of the world.
Arbitration idea Grows.
j There seems good ground for til