Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-31
ARBITRATION A MYTH
According to the Theory OF a
Diplomat.
ONLY IN MINOR DIFFERENCES
The Great Nations of the World Con-
sidered Singly.
THE HAGUE TRIBUNALS VALVE
May BE Of Use in Adjusting Disputes
Between States Having a Tend
ency to Peace.
ONLY IN MINOR DIFFERENCES
THE HAGUE TRIBUNALS VALUE

Successful arbitration" a diplomatic
phrase that has originated during presi
dent Roosevelt's administration and for
whose coming he is largely, II not wholly.
responsible. Is the latest fad OF the several
great governments. 1t being a fad, Il has
Its many phases. OF which there are as
many as there are governments 'art,trisI-
iy' Inclined
But according to great statesmen. no. ex
ceptins the President OF the United States.
aspitranon Is myth In so far as the actual
meaning of the word goes. 1t Is but an &C
ceptaeie excuse that permits a delay In me-
EQUATIONS between two or more countries
ana II can become only successful, not when
their duly accredited representatives meet
10 aroitrate, but when a man of conserv-
ativs sentiments and authoritatlyeIy placed
taxes the matter IN hand and offers his
counsel Therefore there is no such thing as
auccessfui arbitration" in collective xrot,ps.
ous successful arbitrator is a possibility
ana certainty. IL we remember the Presi-
dents action In the late war between Rus
sia and Japan.
Emperor Nicholas succeeded I'm constI
tuung the court OF arbitration at The Hague
In 1893. said a prominent diplomat '-The
court has proved to be failure and while
roninally II exists today practically il II
not known. A number of arbitration treaties
nave been. and are being. drawn between
the powers. IL may be a coincidence or a
natural result. but each time the cry or
peace 10 raised the dying echo Is always one
OF clashtns arms. This has been 10 since
TEE French revolution. when, after the fra
terntsy OF all nations was proclaimed ALI
Europe became the scene of pandemonium
As soon az the GEAR discovered the Olive,
branch as the international plant he grated
it with gun metal. 1t was believed for a
time that the metallic combination was 10
strengthen the olive branch. supposed 10
WITHSTAND heavy and prolonged weights
Duf Instead 1t was . prepare for war in
times or peace So the car rushed at once
into war In order to control Manchuria ana
Korea, without any regard for the Interests
OF China, japan or England. This happened
after England conquered the TransvaaI and
ADDED 1t to her empire. The United States
(although her action was before the estab-
iishment OF the court of arbitration) learned
tnat Imperialism Is a great thing and from
the crown OF Spain she won both Cuba and
Porto Rico and purchased the Philippines.
Great Nations Considered.
Now We have England, Russia. Japan,
France. Germany. Austria and other minor
countries. Let US take them singly VIII
England be satisfied with plain, common
arbitration when she feels both Canada
and Australia slipping away from beneath
the folds of her royal mantle, to say moth
ing OF India, country that some day may
Ia.
dfsemboweed at home and with her loss OF
prestige in 1904-1905-an amount that will
take nifty years to recover-and her loss OF
half OF the ptrated Island of Saghalien, and
the 1rretrievable loss of Corea-will Russia
arbitrate? Japan. with her increasing mas
terry over the Asiatic hemisphere her nat
ural antagonsm to Germany and her infiu-
ence in China-wili Japan submit to arbitra-
tion1 France, can she desire peace forever
While she smarts under the loss of Alsace-
Lorraine and while Germany is trying to
force her from the northern coast or
Africa? Germany, will she be willing to
remain peaceful until the end of the
world, without going for Austria, the
Balkan states and Russian provinces ana
be forever without a port in the Medter-
ranean? Austria-Hungary the dual mon
archy. now experiencing about as much
turbulence at home Russia, can she Be
peaceful while Germany is her bette noir
and Italy her natural commercial enemy
Then little Holland, which Is usually for
gotten. with vast regions under her con-
troll in the East indies and not enough
capital to develop their resources while the
Americans are fairly bursting to open new
avenues for their energies-what about HoI-
land?
IAN that is serious problem, and all the
arbitration In the world will not solve II,
1t Is g. complex affair, inasmuch as IL
brings. In one way or another, all those
countries against one another. What would
be agreeable between England and Russia
for Instance. would be disagreeable to Ger
II y.
And more arbitration will not help It, be-
cause arbitration means submission, sub
mission means rebellion, and rebellion
means force. The evolution Is perfect ana
unerrfng-the end must reach the beginning
after an imaginary circle has been followed
and force touches arbitration once again
The second arbitration can be better
than the first. and the conditions be such
that would pervent any political or diplo-
matte stability thereafter.
Arbitration. continued the diplomat. SIS
only practicable in deciding small interna-
tonal questions, which are not worth the
risk of great war; such as the Alaska
and Venezuela boundary questions. the
Alabama claims, or differences between
diminutfye republics or reigns. But when
an international difference touches the very
existence of a country, It's national honor.
it's policy of territorial expansion, every ma
ton is inclined to decide for itself. and to
cry that no meddling by foreigners-who
interpose the plea of arbitratfon-is wanted.
1t must be remembered that not all wars
have bsen unJustifiable While II was often
the case that a ruler could go to war TO
crafty personal within, when we remenl-
Der the causes maintained at Marathon, at
Solferino. Greece's assertion of indepen-
dence against Turkey, and tens of others.
war Is just.
Value Of The Hague Tribunal
'It has always been a source OF amuse-
ment to those who understand why EN-
peror Nicholas. as the prime mover In the
constitution or the arbitration tribunal, did
not submit to II his own petty troubles with
Japan Englands quarrel with the Trans
vaal was not submitted to the tribunal OF
The Hague. Is this tribunal, according to
malicious whisper, after all cloak to the
conquests of Russia and the other great
nations? That the court can be Of no bene-
fit whatever Is shown on the face of the
provision in the second article of the tri-
bunaPs constitution. which reads:
Controversies of a judicial character or
relating to treaties existing between two
parties. and which cannot be adjusted by
the ordinary method of diplomacy shall be
submitted to permanent court of arbitra-
ton established by the convention of the
10Th July. 1900. provided they do not relate
to the vital interests. to the independence
or honor of the two contracting states and
have no reference to the interests of any
third power.
Naturally, at once there rises the ques-
ton as to who shall judge what must be ar
hifrated. Very few men can decide whether
or not controversy really touches upon
one or the other points mentioned
THE leading authorities on arbitration
practically sum up the subject In this wise:
We gladly cOncede that tribunals Of arb-
trati0n may be Of great use In adjusting
Disputes between states who can have no