The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1903-12-10

: Heretofore unsurveyed and ifhperfecti,
: known brought into .prominence the urgen'
necessity Of q practical demarcation Of tn,
boundaries between the jurisdictions o.
the United States and Great Britain Al
though the treaty OF 1925 between Grea
Britain and Russia, the provisions Of which
were copied In the treaty OF 1867, whereby
Russia conveyed Alaska to the United
states, was positive as to the control frs
by Russia and later by the United States
OIL strip OF territory along the continental
mainland from the western shore OF Port.
land canal to Mount st. Elias. following
ana surrounding the indentations Of tbs
coast and including the islands to the west
ward. Its description of the landward mar
gin or the strip was indefinite, resting on
tne. supposed existence Of continuous
| rloge or range OF mountains skirting the
| coast, as figured in the charts of the early
naVigators. 1t had at no time been possible
Tor either party IN interest to lay down,
| under the authority of the treaty, line
SO obviously exact according to its provi-
sions as to command the assent OF the
After unavailing attempts TO reach an
/ Understanding through joint high COM
i mission, Followed by prolonged negotia-
tons, conducted in an amicable spirit. a
Great Britain was signed, January "a; 1908,
providing for an examination Of the SUBJ
lect by mixed tribunal of six members,
three on a side, with View to its final dis
| position: Notifications were exchanged on
March last, wherehpon the two govern
ments appointed their respective members.
Elhu Root, secretary of War; Henry
Cabot Lodge, senator Of the United
States, and George Turner, en- ex-senator
named the Right Honorable Lord Aver
stone, lord chief justice OF England; Sir
Louis Amable Jette. X. c. M. g., retired
A. B. Aylesworth, X. c., Of Toronto. This
tribunal met In London on September g.
under the presidency of Lord Alverstone.
marked by friendly and conscientious
spirit. The respective cases, counter cases
and arguments presented the Issues clear
i " ana fully: On the goth OF October ma;
an agreement on all the questions submit
ted by the terms of the convention. BY
this award the right Of the United States
der OF the mainland shore, skirting all the
tide-water inlets and sInuosities of the
coast, Is confirmed; the entrance to Port
land canal lconcerning which legitimate
doubt appeared) is defined as passing by
Tongass inlet and to the Iiorthwestward Of
wales and Pearse islands: a line Is drawn
fifty-sixth degree of north latitude; and
the interior border line OF the strip Is fixed
by lines connecting certain mountain sum-
Mount ST. Elias, and running an along the
crest Of the divide separating the coast
slope from the inland watershed at the
age ridge approaches the coast within the
distance of ten marine leagues stipulated
by the treaty as the extreme width of the
strip around the heads of Lynn canal and
its branches. -.
The award is self-executfng on the vital
points To make 1t effective as regards
the others 1t only remains for the two
governments to appoint, each on its own
who shall, with all convenient speed, pro-
coed together to lay down the boundary
line in .accordapcee with the, decision Of
the majority of the tribunal. I recon-
mend that the congress make adequate
provision for the appointment, compen-
sation and expenses of the members to
sion on the part of the United States
Claims Against Venezuela.
1t will be remembered that during the
Britain. Germany and Italy formed an
alliance for the purpose Of blockading
the ports Of Venezuela and using such
a settlement Of claims due, as they al
legged, to certain of their subjects. Their
employment of force for the collection of
ment brought about through the offices
Of the diploma dc representatives of the
United States at Caracas and the gov
eminent at Washington, thereby ending
a situation which was bound to cause
increasing friction, and which jeoparded
the peace of the continent. Under this
agreement Venezuela agreed to set apart
a certain percentage of the customs re-
ePt Of two Of her ports to be apPed
might be ascertained by mixed commits
sions appointed for that purpose to be
due from her, not only, to the three pow
ings against her had resulted in a state of
war but also to the United States, France,
Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden
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 thay<he sums
ascertained to be due to their citizens by
such mixed commission should be accord
ed payment in full before anything was
called peace powers. Venezuela, on the
other hand, insisted that all her creditors
should be paid upon basis of exact
equality. During the efforts to adjust
ers In interest that 1t should be referred
to me for decision. but I was clearly
of the opinion that q far wiser course
permanent court of arbitration at The
Hague. 1t seemed to me to offer an ad-
mirable opportunity to advance the prac-
tice of the peaceful settlement of dis
putes between nations and to secure for
The Hague tribunal a memorable in
crease Of its practical Importance. The
nations interested in the controversy
were so numerous, and in many instances
SO powerful as to make it evident that
benefcent results would follow from
their appearance dL inc SSUl6 time DeTOre
the bar of that august tribunal of peace
Our hopes in that regard have been real
ICED. Russia and Austria are represented
in the persons Of the learned and distin-
gliished jurists who compose the tribunal
while Great Britain, Germany, France,
Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands,
Sweden and Norway, Mexico, the United
States and Venezuela are represented by
their respective agents and counsel. Such
an imposing concoufse Of nations present.
ing their arguments to and invoking the
decision of that high court of International
justice and international peace can hardly
fail to secure a like submission Of many
future controversies. The nations now ap-
pearing there will find it far easier to ap-
pear there a second time while no nation
can imagine its just pride will be lessened
by following the example now presented.
This triumph of the principle of interna-
tional arbitration is subject Of warm con-
graduation and offers a happy augury for
the peace Of the world.
Relations with Turkey.
Early in July, having received intelli-
gence, which happily turned out to be
erroneous, of the assassination of our vice
consul at Beirut, l dispatched a small
squadron to that port for such service as
might be found necessary on arrival. AL
though the attempt on the life of our vice
consul had not been successful, yet the
outrage was symptomatic of state of
excitement and disorder which demanded
immediate attention. The arrival of the
vessels had the happfeSt result. A feeling