The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-07

all the claims of the various creditor
nations, without discrimination and yet
with justice and without oppression TO
Venezuela, are matters well known
Mr.. Bowen would talk only in gen
eral way, saying that his two associates
on the commission were expected TO
take an active part at The Hague.
These gentlemen are Judge Penfield of
Delaware and the Honorable Wayne
MacVeigh of Pennsylvania. The latter
was attorney general under President
Arthur's administration and is present
ing the leading argument for the United
States.
Mr.. Brown gave a review of the
Venezuelan case that brings out fea-
lures not hitherto printed, as Well as
concise resume of the subject, in SUB
stance as follows:
Venezuela, slow to pay certain for
eign debts. found her harbors block
AIDED by English and German men-of-
war, but an agreement was erected,
largely through efforts OF the Onlleo
States. that the country should be
opened to commerce and her obllga-
tions paid in full, by yearly install
ments. from thirty per cent OF the rev
enues of the principal two ports; the
claims had been sifted and prepared py
a commission of three for each claim
ant, one member from the nation con-
cerned, one from Venezuela, the third,
selected by the two, as umpire
These preliminaries have been con-
cluded.N with the proviso that should
Venezuela fall to turn over the reve-
nues, the king of Belgium, a neutral
power, shall take charge of the ports
and apportion the receipts.
Great Britain, Germany and Italy
forthwith claimed that by virtue OF
being first off the Venezuela coast Win VIII
their men-of-war and beginning the
blockade they should receive their pay
first Upon an extended conference OF
ambassadors at washington, Secretary
Hay and Minister Bowen this matter
was referred to The Hague to gain II
noseihIe a decision that all claimants
should stand on an equal footing, none
given preference
The protocol was signed by Great
Britain, Germany, Italy, and Fenezuela-
1t provided that the Emperor OF Russia
should name three arbitrator TO SIT as
2 court. giving a decision which must
be accented by all: that the cate De
September I, and that any natlon de-
protocol specified that the proceedings
of the tribunal shall be recorded in the
English language. In adhering France
reserved the privilege of reopening TINS
stipulation, with the presumed wish TO
secure the record in French.
The following nations were expected
to be REPRESENTED before the tribunal:
Great Britain. Germany, France, Italy,
Spain. United States. Holland: Bel
GUM, Norway. Sweden, and Mexico.
1t is known that Mr.. Bowen's position
was to bring Venezuela to the determi
nation to paw in full all the debts
owing other nations and to convince
the latter that while they We're entitled
to their full proportion of the assets
none should crush the debtor nor de-
prive the weakest creditor of his per-
centage of any just account.
Mr. Bowen does not, evidently, be-
lieve in preferred creditors in the bank
ruptcy of the individual, nor when mis-
fol tune .befalls a country burdened by
obligations it cannot at once pay, but
which it can meet and completely sat
isfy, if given time. opportunity and
consideration.
He believed the proceedings at The
Hague will be put down in English,
according to the. protocol signed by the
allied powers, though the right to OBJ
ject was reserved by France. The
French language, he declared. is essen
TALLY that of the drawing-room.
charming in polite circles, but the Eng
eSta biished legal forms and rulings
gained in the years before and since
Blackstone, with the advanced under
standing on this point by the majority
signers, entitle it to the favor of the
arbitrators in this court of law; MAIN
tanning. however. that testimony may
be taken in the language of the ma
tionality concerned: French claimants
tongue, Germany in the German, Spain
in the Spanish.
MT Bowen has great hopes, faith and
concern in the decision at The Hague,
following the acts of one of the nations,
directly affecting the interests of at
least twelve governments and indirect
ly, may be. the world at large: IN u
sense the greatest court ever convened.
In the verdict. he AYERS, may lie
precedent for all civilized peoples, pos
sibly the herald of universal peace, the
settlement of national disputes from the
minds and mouths of great courts in
stead of from the might and muzzles of
great cannon. The ways of four CEN
turtles ago should not be our ways.
Their barbarous challenges of the sword
should be succeeded by our civilized
edicts of the pen. written in ink by men
and nations. and not scrawled in blood
by those who should people and make
fruitful the EARTH not depopulate and
| devastate it. The resort to war should
be as difficult and unnecessary as pos
sible. The Hague should become the
place of all others on these two conti-
nents which the nations will recognize
the distributing point of equal and
exact Justice for all who submit their
differences, and to which all countries
may in confidence entrust their cause
for proper and accepted adjustment.
International law. he emphasized, is
not now written in chapters. but line by
line, sentence by. sentence, but he trusts
volume of procedure and a code of
action. tending to the worlds peace, will
come from affairs at The Hague.
Bowen is of commanding presence,
broad and high. and apparently of like
dimensions in his conception of the
questions to be determined and the tri-
| bunal to be tested. He is what is
known in America as a Down East
Yankee; makes New York his home;
is about forty-five years old; born in
Connecticut, where he is still an owner
in landed estates which have been held
continuously in the family's name for
eight generations. He is the great
grand nephew of Benjamin Franklin
and for thirteen years has followed one
of his Industrious relatives many spec
ial avocations-the diplomatic service.
He has been with the consular depart
ment of Spain and Persia and speaks
the predominating languages of Eur
ope For the past six months he has
lived much in Washington, a place of
which Americans concede the stay of
any one is an education of exceptional
value