Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1903-01-02
THE WASHINGTON LEIIER.

III WH6AfANN Wv t'
The greatest triumph in the
Roosevelt administration has just
been scored in connection with the
Venezuelan situation. Altho the
settlement of the anthracite coal
strike has been brought closer home
to the majority of the people, the
skill and diplomacy with which the
allies have been brought, first TO an
acceptance Of arbitration as settle
ment of their difficulties with Vene-
zuela, and then to the acceptance Of
the Hngue Tribunal as the arbitrat.
or, constitute an even greater tri-
umph for the president and his
secretary of state The Monroe
doctrine has been not only main
tanned bat strengthened, Venezuela
is about to be saved from further
hardship and will be insured just
settlement of the claims against her
and all possibility Of friction be
tween the United States and either
or both of the interested powers has
been averted. Once pursuaded that
arbitration was the proper course,
the allies, doubtless largely inspired
by personal admiration for the pres
ident, insisted that he must act as
arbitrator, a course to which there
were many objections. At no time
did Mr.. Roosevelt positively refuse
to so act, but he intrusted to the
skillful diplomacy of Secretary Hay
the task of making the powers see
that the present situation offered a
most advantageous opportunity of
demonstrating their confidence in
the tribunal which they had them
selves sanctioned and that the i'm
position of so onerous a task on the
president was akin to taking adj
vantage of good nature That Mr.
Hay has been eminently successful
IN his delicate undertaking is proven
by the announced willingness of the
powers and of Venezuela TO submit
all matters in dispute to the Hague.
Another and distinct triumph for
the president and secretary of state
is to be found in the terms of the
Cuban treaty which have been made
public this week. In return for a
uniform concession of 20 per cent.
from the Dingley tariff rates, al
lowed on Cuban goods, the United
States secures the same discount on
all goods entering Cuba and, in
numerous instances, much greater
concessions, the highest being 40
per cent. on such goods as manufac-
tured wooleus and cottons, rice,
watches, umbrellas, etc. So exten-
sive are these special discounts that
it is freely admitted they will afford
this country an absolute monopoly
of the Cuban trade. Even with the
20 per cent. off the sugar schedule,
the producers of sugar in this coun-
try will enjoy protection amount.
ing to one third cents per pound
against Cuban competition and, as
most of the sugar growers are pro-
ducers of other agricultural com
modities they will be more than com
pensated for any slight loss of sugar
by the advantages gained in other
lines. The officers of the admins.
tration express confidence that the
treaty will meet with the prompt
approval of the members of congress
and that It will be ratified within
the stipulated period, the month Of
January.
In the midst OF the anxiety occa-
stoned by the Venezuela situation
Germany and Great Britain have
filed protests with the state depart
ment against what they may term Z
violation Of the open door policy il