Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-12-03

yited to the paragraphs upon this sub |
ject in my message of December, 1905. |
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:
"In order to avoid between nations
armed conflicts of a purely pecuniary
origin arising from contractual debts
, claimed of the government of one coun-
try by the government # another coun-
, try to be due to its Mt ,io--a!s 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 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-
ton of 1899 for the voluntary settle
ment of international disputes and par
ticularly the extension of those parts
of that convention which relate to
commissions of inquiry. The existence
of those provisions enabled 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 effect to the experience
gained in that inquiry.
Substantial progress was also made
toward the creation of Il 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 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 im-
portance was that for the creation of
an international prize court. The con-
stitution, organization and procedure
of such tribunal were provided for
in detail. Any one who recalls the in
, Justices under which this country suf-
fered as Il neutral power during the
early part of the last century cannot
: fail to see in this provision for an in
: ternational prize court the great ad
| 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 it is in
+ itself step toward the creation of the
: more general court for the hearing OF
international controversies to which
:, reference has just been made. The or
ganiZation and action of such prize
, court cannot fail to accuStom the DIFF
ferent countries to the submission OF
, | international 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 wa
and for defining the rights and duties
n of neutrals.
, The conference also provided TO
|, the holding of Il third conference with
In q period similar to that which
elapsed between the first and secon'
G conferences.
: The delegates of the United State
worthily represented the spirit of tn
| anu WI
q fidelity and ability the policy of on
i government upon all the great 'ques
= lions discussed in the conference.
. The report of the delegation, togetf
. er with authenticated copies Of tn
n conventions signed. when received wi
a be laid before the senate for its consit
; Grafton.
r When we remember how difficult
o is for one of our own legislative bodie
v composed of citizens of the same couI
D. try. speaking the same language, liN
ing under the same laws and havin
! the same customs. to reach an agree
r inent or even to secure a majority III
q on any difficult and important subjet
10 which is proposed for legislation
l. becomes plain that the representative
p of forty-five different countries, speal
n. ing many different languages, accu
toned to different methods Of proc
10 .dure, with widely diverse interest