Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-12-07


 congress make adequate provision for the appointment, compensation and ex- penses of the members to serve on this joint boundary commission on the part of the United States.
 CLAIMS AGAINST VENEZUELA.
 It will be remembered that during the second session of the last congress Great Britain, Germany and Italy formed an alliance for the purpose of blockading the ports of Venezuela and using such other means of pressure as would secure a settlement of claims due, as they alleged, to certain of their subjects. Their employment of force for the collection of these claims was terminated by an agreement brought about through the offices of the diplo- matic representatives of the United States at Caracas and the government at Washington, thereby ending a situ- ation which was bound to cause in creasing friction and which jeoparded the peace of the continent. Under this agreement Venezuela agreed to set apart a certain percentage of the cus- toms receipts of two of her ports to be applied to the payment of whatever ob- ligations might be ascertalned by mixed commissions appointed for that purpose to be due from her not only to the three powers already mentioned, whose proceedings against her had re- suited in state of war, but also to the United States, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway and Mexico, who had not employed InSv 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 any thing was paid upon the claims of any of the so called peace powers. Vene- zuela, on the other hand, insisted that all her creditors should be paid upon basis of exact equality. During the ef- forts to adjust this dispute it was sug- gested 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 question to the permanent court of arbitration at The Hague. 1t seemed, to me to offer an admirable opportunity to advance the practice of the peaceful settlement of disputes between nations and to secure for Phe Hague tribunal memorable increase of its practical inn portance. The nations interested in the controversy were so numerous and in many instances so powerful as to make it evident that beneficent results would follow from their appearance at the same time before the bar of that august tribunal of peace.
 Our hopes in that regard have been realized. Russia and Austria are rep resented in the persons of the learned and distinguished jurists who compose the tribunal, while Great Britain, Ger many, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway, Mexico, the United States and Venezu- ella are represented by their respective agents and counsel. Such an imposing concourse of nations presenting their arguments to and invoking the decision of that high court of international jus tice and international peace can hardly fail to secure like submission of many, future controversies. The nations now appearing there will find it far easier to appear there a second time, while no nation can imagine it's just pride will be lessened by following the example now presented This triumph of the principle of international arbitra ton is a subject of warm congratulation and offers happy augury for the peace of the world
 INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION There seems good ground for the be- lief that there has been real growth among the civilized nations of a senti- ment which will permit gradual sub stitution of other methods than the method of war in the settlement of dis putes. It is not pretended that as yet we, are near position in which 1t will be possible wholly to prevent war CT that just regard for national interest and honor will in all cases permit of the settlement of international disputes by arbitration, but by mixture of pru- dence and firmness with wisdom we think it is possible to do away with much of the provocation and excuse for war and, at least ia many cases, to substitute some other and more rational method for the settlement of disputes. The Hague court offers so good an ex- ample of what can be done in the direc- tion of such settlement that it should be encouraged in every way.
 Further steps should be taken. In President McKinley's annual message of Dec. 5, 1898, he made the following recommendation:
 "The experiences of the last year bring forcibly home to us sense of the burdens and the waste of war. We desire, in common with most civilized nations, to reduce to the lowest possi- ble point the damage sustained in time of war by peaceable trade and com- merce. It is true we may suffer in such cases less than other communities but all nations are damaged more or less by the state of uneasiness and ap- prehension into which an outbreak of h~1 Snrx AIy~ 411>