The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-06-01

LAKE MOHONK
CONFERENCE
He Cites the Progress Made in the
Last Year in Arbi7
tration.

aOHOuh, cullc TIC LAM
Mohonk conference on international
arbitration is being held and is
we'll attended. The principal address
today was by Benjamin F. Trueblood,
IL. D., secretary Of the Peace Soci-
ETY. of Boston, Mass. Following is a
synopsis of the address:
The standard by which the progress
of arbitration is now to be measured
is the Hague Court, the way in which
the governments act toward it and
the people think and talk about it.
With this standard before us, what
has the last twelvemonth to show?
When we were here last year. the
Court had dealt with and settled
quickly and inexpensively the Pious
Fund case, and we were throwing up
our hats that the august tribunal had
got successfully under way through
the stimulation Of the two foremost
republics Of this half of the world.
Since that time the court has had
before it and disposed Of the most re-
markable lawsuit, if lawsuit is tho
proper name for it, which the world
has ever seen. The question at issue
was whether Great Britain, Germany
and Italy, the three powers whicl
had sent out their fleets to collect by
force from Venezuela some debts
claimed to be due sundry Of their cit
liens, should have preferential treat
nlent over the United States, France
Mexico, Spain. the Netherlands, Bel
GUM and Sweden and Norway, in the
payment Of their claims from the
thirty per cent. of the revenues of
the two specified ports set apart for
that purpose.
The three belligerent powers on the
one side and the seven pacific ones on
the other-five of them great powers,
five of them smaller-appeared on an
equality at the tar of the Court, rep
resented each by agents and counsel
as eminent as the civilized world
could furnish. Just here lies the i'm
nense significance of the case. The
decision has given great disappoint7
ment. Under the circumstances nc
other decision seems to have been
possible. The award is likely to have
considerable influence in inducing the
governments of the world to observe
their contracts and promises more
scrupulouslv than they have hereto
fore done.
The Japanese House Tax contro-
versy. which was referred to the
Court before the Venezuela case. has
not yet been disposed Of The writ
ten arguments have been presented
and the counter cases will be present.
ed in the course Of few months.
But the Hague Court has received
still more signal support during the
wear. Great Britain and France.
France and Italy. Great Britain and
Italy, Holland and Denmark, Great
Britain ard Spain, France and
Spain and France and Hol-
land have. within the last eight
months. concluded treaties undo" the
terms of which they have pledged
themselves to submit for five wears
certain classes Of cases to the Tntnr-
national Court The treaty between
Holland and Denmark is without linn
itations. The others reserve ques-
tions of vital interest and nationa
honor. whatever these may be.
Besides the cases dealt with by t.;
Hague Court number Of cases have
during the year been referred to spc
cial arbitrator or arbitral ccmmis
sions. The most important Of these
are:
The boundary dispute between Fc
udor and Peru.
The claims for indemnity O.
French citizens on the Treaty Shor'
of Newfoundland, provided for il
the general agreement between
France and Great Britain.
The question Of the boundary lin
at the entrance Of the Christians
ford, between Sweden and Norway
The land question in the New He
brides, between France and England
also provided for in the Anglo Frenc
agreement.
The Barotzeland frontier question
between Great Britain and portuca
The controversy between the Turs