Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1907-12-06

vited to the paragraphs upon this sub
ject in my message Of December. 1906,
and to the resolution Of the third Amer
lean conference at Rio In the summer
Of 1906. The convention upon this
subject adopted by the conference sub
stantially as proposed by the American
delegates Is as follows:
I'm order to avoid between nations
armed conflicts Of purely pecuniary
origin arising from contractual debts
claimed of the government of one coun
try by the government of another coun-
try to be due to its nationals the sig
natory powers agree not to have re-
course to armed force for the collec-
ton 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
3 Of the convention for the pacific
settlement of international disputes
adopted at The Hague and that it shall
determine in so far as there shall be no
agreement between the parties the JUS
tice and the amount of the debt, the
time and mode of payment thereof"
Such provision would have prevent
ed much injustice and extortion in the
past and cannot doubt that its effect
In the future will be most salutary
third advance has been made in
amending and perfecting the conyen-
don Of 1899 for the voluntary settle
ment of international disputes and par
dcularly the extension of those parts
| Of that convention which relate to
! commissions Of inquiry. The existence
! Of those provisions ena bIed the govern
| ments of Great Britain and Russia to
avoid war Notwithstanding great pub
| lie excitement at the time Of the Dog
ger bank incident, and the new conven-
| ton agreed upon by the conference
gives practical effectpto the experience
gained In that inquiry.
Substantial progress was also made
toward the creation of a permanent
| judicial tribunal for the determine ton
Of international causes. There was
very full discussion Of the proposal for
such court, and a general agreement
was finally reached in favor Of ifs
creation. The conference recommend
ed to the signatory powers the adop-
ton Of 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 select
ed. This remaining unsettled question
is plainly one which time and good
| temper will solve.
| A further agreement Of the first I'M
an International prize court. The con-
stitution, organization and procedure
of such a tribunal were provided for
| In detail Any one who recalls the In
justices under which this country suf-
fered as a neutral power during the
early part of the last century cannot
| fail to see in this provision for an In
| vance which the world Is making to-
| ward the substitution 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 1t Is in
| itself step toward the creation of the
more general court for the hearing Of
interna tional controversies to which
reference has just been made The Or
ganization and action Of such a prize
court cannot fail to accustom the diff
, ferent countries to the submission of
tnterna tional questions to the decision
Of an international tribunal. and we
may confidently expect the results of
such submission to bring about gen.
eral 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 third conference with
In period similar to that which
elapsed between the FIRST and second
conferences.
The delegates of the United States
worthily represented the spirit of the
American people and maintained with
fidelity and ability the policy Of our
government upon all the great ques-
tons discussed In the conference
The report of the delegation togetb-
eT with sothen-icated coptea NJ the
conventions signed. when -"rei~eh vii.
be laid before the senate for its couatd-
| ~ratIon
When we remember how difficult 1t
iS for one Of our own legislative bodies
composed of citizens of the same coun-
try. speaking the same language. liv-
ting under the same iapvs and having
the same cugfoms. to reach an agree
uent or even to secure majority up.
on any difficult and important subject
which is proposed for legislation 1t
becomes plain that the representatives
Of forty five different countries. speak
ting asany direrens languages, aerus
soned to different methods Of groce-