, 1906-02-22

and that if, in any case they do submit
controversies TO the court, they will
consider themselves bound in good
faith to submit to its decision.
Whether the parties to the Hague
peace convention shall be bound to sub
nit to the arbitral procedure and, il
so, in what matters and to what extent
is left for determination by treaties
made in the regular way. What weight
or influence the decisions of the court
shall have is left to depend upon the
justice and impartiality which those
decisions show n the maintenance
of an armed force for the execution OF
its DEGREES, a thing which would be
practically impossible in the las OF
resistance by one of the great powers,
is thus avoided.
Almost Universal Convention.
The Hague peace convention has
been ratified by twenty-five of the TWEEN.
ty-siX powers represented in the con.
ference and the seventeen South Amer.
lean republics not invited to the confer.
ence have formally declared their ad.
herence to the principles of the conven-
ton and have asked to be admitted as
parties to it.
Not counaing the unfortunate eleven
negotiated by Secretary Hay, the com.
pulsory arbitration treaties executed in
conformity with the peace convention
now number thirty-nine. Great Britain
is a party to ten of them, France to
seVen.. Among the other powers repre-,
scented are Germany, Austria-Hurgary
Brazil, Chile, Peru and the Argentine
Republic. Several of these treaties
provide for the submission of all con.
troversies of whatever nature, not ex.
cepting ever questions affecting nation.
al independence of affairs of honor.
Four Cases Heard and Decided.
Since the organization of the court
in 1901, four cases have been heard and
decided by it directly; and one by a
commission of inquiry as provided for
by the convention. Not a great show.
ing in number of cases, but a very
great showing in the matter of inter.
ests involved.
Upon the recommendation and re-
quest of the interparliamentary union,
at it's st. Louis session in 1904, Presi-
dent Roosevelt has called for a second
Hague peace conference to consider
the ~advisability of establishing an in
ternational congress to convene period
ically for the discussion of information
al questions" and the plan of the union,
as formulated by its committee appoint
ed at the Brussels meeting in August
last, is to have an international parlia-
ment composed of two houses similar
in their constitution and relative au-
thority to that of the two houses COM
posing the softhe United States,
the chief function of which shall be
ito codify international, law and keep
1t up to date" for the use of the Hague
tribunal.
Nations Bound by Findings.
Since the downfall of Napoleon in
1915, over two hundred international
controversies have been settled by ar
bitration. No less than eighty of them
have been decided within the past
twenty-five years; and, according to
Justice Brewer of the United States SUI
preme court, in no case has a nation
refused to be bound by the decision of
the arbitral court. The cases cover
nearly every sort of questions with
which nations have to deal in their re-
lations with each other; questions of
boundary and violation of territory, of
trespasses committed and injuries re-
ceived in time of war; of the murder of
citizens Of one country by those of an
other; of disputed sovereignty over
islands; questions of protectorates, Of
seizure of ships, of interference with
commerce, fisheries, ETC."
Is International arbitration coming?
Watch the first beams of morning light
as they creep over yonder chain of
hills and light up, n after another,
the objects on this plan, mi ask me
whether the day is coming. Note the
first blades of tender grass shooting up
ward in the springtime; note the bud