Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-06-23

equal and impartial trade with ali parts
of the Chinese empire
THE express adherence Of the
powers Of Europe to this declaration
was occurred. The open recognition OF
the rule Of right conduct imposed it's
Limitations upon the conduct of the
powsrs III the orient, It was made the
test Of defensible action. Carefully
guarded BY the wise Statesman who
had seeafed Its acceptance; 1t brought
q moral force of recognized Value to
protect peaceful and helpless China
from dlsmemb ernhent ana spoilation,
and to preserve the open door in the
orient for the. commerce Of the world.
Under the influence Of this effective
friendship d new commercial treaty
With China, proclaimed on the 9Th Of
October last. has enlarged our oppor-
tunities for trade; opened new ports to
our commerce, and abolished internal
duties on goods III transit within the
empire. There were Indeed other ma
tions which agreed with this policy of
American diplomacy, but no other ma
ton WAS free from suspicion OF self
ish aims. Mono other had won con
t1dence in the sincerely of its purpose,
and rome other but America could rem
der the service which we have rem.
dered to humanity In China during the
past foiir years. High evidence Of thai
enyiable position Of our country; Is fur
nished by the fact that when all Eu-
rope was Ill apprehension lest the field
Of war between Russia and Japan
81, -. - Sn,v >,
rttifi ana d universal conflict, il was to
the american government that the able
and ,far-sighted German emperor ap-
pealed, to take the lead again in bring
Ing about an agreement for the limita-
ton ef the field of action, and the pres.
erv1ation cf tie administrative entity Of
Chlha odtside III Manchuria; ana that
was accomplished.
The. Alaskan Boundary.
upon ouf own continent a dispute
With Canada over the boundary of
ALASKA had been growing more acute
for thirty years. A multitude OF min
ers swift to defend their own rights by
force were locating mining claims UNI
der the laws III both countries iii the
disputed territory. AT any moment a
fatal ARRAY between Canadian and
American miners was liable to begin a
conflict Iii which all of British Columbia
would be arrayed on one side and all
our northwest upon the other. Agree
Ineht Was impossible. But the Alaskan
boundary treaty Of January "a, 1903
provided a tribunal for the decision
81 the controversy; and Upon legal
proofs reasoned argument, an appeal
has been had from prejudice and pas
sion to Judicial judgment; ana under
the lead of a great chief justice Of
England, who held the sacred obliga-
tions Of Els Judicial office above all 9TH
er considerations, the dispute has been
settled forever and substantially III ac-
cordance with the American conten-
ton.
am 1900 the first administration Of
Mckinley had played d great part in
establishing The Hague tribunal for
International arbitration. The pre-.
vailing opinion Of Europe was incredu.
LOUIS as to the practical utility Of the
provision ana anticipated d paper trib-
unal unsought by litigants. 1t was the
example VI the United States which
set at naught this opinion. The first
International case taken to The Hague
tribunal was under our protocol with
Mexico Of May %, 1902, submitting our
contention for the rights Of the Ro-
man Catholic church in California to
d share 81 Tie church moneys held by
the Mexican government before the
cession, ana known as the Pious fraud,
ana the first decision of the tribunal
was an award in our favor upon that
question.
When in 1908 the failure Of Vene-
zuela to pay her just debts led Eng
land, Germany and Italy to warlike
measures for the collection of their
claims, an appeal by Venezuela to our
government resulted in agreements
upon arbitration III place of the war,
ana In a request that Cur President
should act as arbitrator. Again he
The Tague tribunal and was able to
lead all the powers to submit the cru
cial questions in controversy 10 the de-
termination of that court. 1t is due
greatly to Support W the American
government that this agency for peace
has disappointed the expectations of its
detractors and by demonstrations of
practical usefulness has begun a
chfeer fraught with possibilities OF in
calculable benefit to mankind.
Safe, Conservative Administration.
ION April IL, 1903, was proclaimed
another convention between all the
great powers agreeing upon more hu-
name rules for the conduct Of war;
and those iii substance Incorporated
and gave the sanction of the civilized
world to the rules drafted by Francis
Lieber and approved by Abraham Lin
coin for the conduct of the armies of
the United States in the field.
"All Americans who desire safe and
conservative administration which
shall avoid cause Of quarrel, all Who
abfior war, dill Who long for the per-
feet sway Of the principles of that re-
ligion which We all profess, should re-
joice that under this republican ad-
mnistration their country has attain
ed potent leadership among the ma
tons in the cause Of peace and inter-
national Justice.
THE respect and moral power thus
gained has been exercised IN the iii-
terests Of humanity; where the rules OF
diplomatic intercourse have made for
NAL Intervention impossible. When
the Rounlanlan outrages and when
the appalling massacre at Kshineff,
shocked civilization; ana filled th6uS-