Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-23


that have adopted as their standard the
Anglo-Freach treaty OF arbitration.
This latter problem arose from the fall
ure OF the Hay treaties to meet the ap-
prevail of the United States In the form
In which they were negotiated. The Hay
treaties proposed TO refer to arbitration all
questions OF legal nature, provided they
do not affect the vital interest or the honor
OF either OF the contracting powers. or the
interests Of a third power. A subsequent
clause was inserted. which provided that
when any particular controversy might
arise a subsequent agreement should be
entered into between the contracting pow
ers before resort could be had to the court
of arbitration under the terms OF this
treaty.
The Senate struck out the word agree
rnent'' and substituted the word treaty.
and then passed the treaty thus amended oy
practically a unanimous vote, only nlns sen
ators Directing TO the amendment ms
amendment necessitated securing the CON
sen of the Senate IN each case when the
subsequent agreement was being conciuoeu
JJpor the initiative of American represent
atives the interpariiamentary com nm d,snh
decided upon a plan to surInount the oini-
Guilty. This plan Is to specify distinctly the
classes of questions to be arbitrateo, 30 tnat
the Senate can exercise It's Judgment when
Il ratifies the treaty. To prevent this speci-
fication from holding all nations back TO
the position occupied by the least progress
Eve country, II was proposed tnat eaen ma
ton could designate individually the classes
eyted which shall be transferred by the
treaty from the battlefield to the precincts
OF the International court. and to permit the
addition of other classes OF controversies by
each nation, after the original rauncaeoh
Of tho treaty.
In this way each nation can put the treaty
into operation in a wider area, oy It's own
act, between itself and all other nations
which have previously designated or when
might subsequently designate the same
classes OF questions as arbitrable under tne
terms of the treaty. BY this provision All
nations can be parties to the same treaty,
and yet its scope would be Wioer pet"eeh
tao backward nations.
II seems likely, therefore. that the Lon
don conference will be able to agree upon
a plan for ascertaining the principles wnch
nations ought hereafter observe In their
conduct toward each other and for deciding
when a violation OF accepted principles mas
taken place.
IN addition to these the most important
nolnts on the program of the Union. several
other very important questions are TO De
considered and the indications are ina.
there will be perfect agreement upon s ,ne
most important points. but perhaps aiI-
ference of opinion on the question OF iifiii'a-
tion of ornaments.
The British members of the mterpalna-
meutary union will make stand Tor con-
sideration by the second Hague conIerenee
of this question, which held the foremost
place In the rescript of the car In his cal
FOR the drst Hague conference, and winch
was subordinated by that conference 10 INC
great constructive work OF organizing an
international court OF arbitration. There Is
a considerable party In every national par
lament which has been laying the emphasis
of the arbitration movement upon the iluii-
tation OF ornaments There Is such parry
in the United States Congress, and III IL
probable that the intellectual struggle at
London will center around this proposition
The position which has been taken o.
Richard Bartholdt, the president OF the
American group of the lnterparlfamentary
union Is that the work of constructing an
international deliberative body must pre-.
cede the decrease or even the Limitation OF
ornaments.
In addition to this question of limitation
OF ornaments the reorganization OF the In
terparliamentary union will be discussed
The report of the commission on lnterna-
tional congress favors the reorganization
OF the union in such form that this BODY
in due time become a sort of international
house OF representatives. whose members
come from the parliaments, and capable of
cooperating with the permanent confer
ence at The Hague. whose members VIII be
selected by the executives of each nation
At the present time there are about two |
hundred members of the fnterpariamentary |
union. The American delegation Will prob
ably advocate the adoption OF an aggressive
campaign for the enlargement of the union
so that within, say, ten years from TINS
time It will include In its membership
majority In numbers and In strength of
mind In every national parliament. rms
Is already true In a number OF nations, Tor
instance. In Hungary, In Belgium and per-
haps In France As yet there are no groups
of the interparliamentary union in any or
the South American parliaments- propo-
sition to hold its session In 1910. which Is
the centennial OF the independence of South
America in Bogota, Colombia will be placed |
on the program of the London conference |
upon the initiative OF Senior Diego Mendoza. |
a member OF the house of representatives |
Of the Colombian congress.
Senior Diego Mendoza extended an invita- |
ton to the Parliamentary Union to hold It's
session in 1910 at Bogota. the capital of
The year 1910 will mark the Tooth |
anniversary OF the Independence of Colon-
bia, achieved through the leadership of
Simon Boliver. His final military victory
was won at Ayacucho, and resulted in the
liberation OF all South America from sub
lection to Spain. This brought the whole
of that great continent under the modern
dispensation In government whose cardi-
nal principle Is government by the people
today through the agency of representa-
tives elected by the people sitting in
parliament of congress.
The assembling of the first representa-
tive parliament of England during the thir-
teenth century being taken as a starting
point II ts easy TO see how all other po-
litical events since then are secondary In
importance to the appearance of represent
tative parliaments in the various parts of
the world.
Every foot of ground on the two CONT
nents of America. almost all OF Europe and
a great part OF Africa are now In sub
lection to such sovereign. SO are Cuba. |
Australia and Japan. The United States Is
instItuting such a system In the Philip |
pines. The empire OF China Is working on
plans for Chinese congress. And the
Russian people are actually in the throes
OF passing from an autocratc to a parlia-
mentary system
such Is the condition of affairs in the
several parts OF the world today, when the
third pan-American congress Is converting,
when arrangements are being made for the
early assembling of the second general as
sembly OF the nations at The Hague, and
when the Interparliamentary Union Is con-
sldering the best form for a permanent in
ternational congress. Under such circum-
stances we may we'll take glance back
ward as well as forward Three hundred
years ago Elizabeth OF England was In con-
sultation with Henry Nv of France In re-
gard to establishing permanent peace IN
Europe by the organization of council
or congress of European powers And as
our organization is holding its fourteenth
Ression at the capital OF Great Britain II
may not be inappropriate TO recall the fact
that In the memoirs of the Duke OF Sully,
the prime minister of Henry the Great. Is
said that the suggestions upon this grand
design which was made by Queen Eliza
beth. proved her to be the peer OF any
king
Simon Boliver the liberator OF South
America, proposed in 1875 similar plan