Arizona republican., 1907-12-04

country to be due to its nationals. the signatory powers agree not to have re- course to armed force for the collection of such contractual debts.
 However this stipulation shall not be applicable when the debtor State refuses or leaves unanswered an offer to arbitrate. or. in case of acceptance. makes it impossible to formulate the terms of submission, or, after arbitra- ton. fails to comply with the award rendered.
 Ut is further agreed that arbitration here contemplated shall be in con- formity, as to procedure, with Chapter III of the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disptues adopted at The Hague, and that it shall determine. in so far as there shall be no agreement between the parties. the justice and the amount of the debt. the time and mode of pay ment thereof
 Such a provision would have pre- vented much injustice and eXtortion in the past, and l cannot doubt that its effect in the future will be most salutary.
 "A third advance has been made in amending and perfecting the conven- .tion of 1899 for the voluntary settle ment of international disputes, and particularly the extension of those parts of that convention which relate to commissions of inquiry. The eXis- tence of those provisions enabled the Governments of Great Britain and Russia to avoid war. notwithstanding great public excitement, at the time of the Dogger Bank incident. and the new convention agreed upon by the Confer ence gives practical effect to the ex- perience gained in that inquiry. Substantial progress was also made towards the creation of a permanent judicial tribunal for the determination of international causes. There was very full discussion of the proposal for such a court and a general agreement was finally reached in favor of its creation. The Conference recommend ed to the signatory Powers the adop- ton of a draft upon which it agreed for the organization of the court, leav- ing to be determined only the method by which the judges should be selected. This remaining unsettled question is plainly one which time and good tenn per will solve.
 "A further agreement of the first i'm portance was that for the creation of an international prize court. The con- stitution. organization and procedure of such a tribunal were provided for in detail. Anyone who recalls the in justices under the early part of the last century can not fail to see in this provision for an international prize , court the great advance which the world is making towards the substi- tuition of the rule of reason and justice in place of simple force. Not only will the international prize court be the means of protecting the interests of neutrals. but it is in itself a step towards the creation of the more gen eral court for the hearing of interna- tional controversies to which refer ence has just been made. The organ ization and action of such a prize court cannot fail to accustom the different countries to the submission of inter- national questions to the decision of an international tribunal. and We may confidently expect the results of such submission to bring about a general agreement upon the enlargement of the practice.
 Numerous provisions were adopted for reducing the evil effects of war and
 for defining the rights and duties of neutrals.
 "The Conference also provided for the holding of a third Conference within a period similar to that which elapsed between the First and Second Conferences.
 ''The delegates of the United States I wOrthily represented the spirit of the
 American people and maintained with
 fidelity and ability the policy of our
 Government upon all the great ques-