New-York tribune., 1908-04-05
DIPLOMATIC DEADLOCK
CANADA STANDS FIRM.
Insists on Mired Commission to
Settle Pending Questions.
From The Tribune Bureau.


Washington, April 4.-There are many indica-
tions that the negotiations between the United
States and Great Britain. far as they relate
to the disposition of poveg from Niagara Falls
and allied questions. have reached deadlock
which all the tact and diplomatic ability of Sec
retary Root and Ambassador Bryce Will be un-
able 10 break The insistence of the Canadians
that this troublesome problem. together with Il
number of allied questions such as boundary
disputes. etc shall be referred 10 commission
clothed with pIenary powers precIudes any pos
sibiIity Of cu agreement by the United States.
while all the of the British Ambassador
seems impOtant to wean the Canadian authori-
ties from 4 scheme Whereby. apparently. they
had hoped TO supplant the treaty-making power
Of the British Foreign Office with mixed COM
mission somewhat similar in character to the
former Joint High Commission.
ARBITRATION TREATY SIGNED.
The Secretary of State and the British Am
bassador day signed the general arbitration
treaty with Great Britain thus taking the
on5 step in the programme. the ultimate end OF
which is the submission 70 the Hague Tribunal
Of the Newfoundland fisheries controversy- This
programme. which was carefully devised by Mr.
Root with d View To facilitating the approval
by the Senate of the Newfoundland treaty con-
tempated first the ratification Of the Hague
general arbitration treaty. which done by
the Senate this week then the ratification Of th-
British arbitration treaty. signed to-day; and. /
finally. the submission and ratification OF the
specific Newfoundland treaty which will deImt
the scope Of the arbitration. etc. dpomaticary I
known as 4 cornpromis- Having committed itself /
10 the broad principle Of arbitration by ratify !
ing the Hague arbitration convention. and mora
specifically 70 arbitration with Great Britain by
ratifying the treaty signed to-day. it is the be
lief of the administration that the Senate could
hardly hesitate to ratify the special agreement +
which shall consign The Hague the adjudica
ton Of the differences growing out Of the Nsn-
fishing question.
Gratifying progress had been made in the ne
gotiatious affect11g relations with Canada and !
for a time It looked if even the troublesome
Niagara question would Weld the diplomatic
skill of Mr.. Root and Mr.. Bryce. The method
of employing commissions to deal with the less
important details appealed alike 10 both powers.
and an agreement has been reached whereby
a Joint commission Is TO take up and decide
within certain limits all questions affecting the
fresh water fisheries. This commission is 20
remain in power for four years and thereafter
until one or the otherlof the powers gives one
years notice of abrogation OF the agreement
So too the convention dealing with the de-
limitation of the existing boundaries. the mark
ing Of their limits the settlement of a number
Of minor but more or less perpiexing questions
growing out OF Inaccurate surveys OF more
and the preservation of' order and the exercise
Of police power along the boundary creates a
ioint commission which will take up and finally
dispose of these questions An agreement has
been reached --~arding the transportation OF
the prisoners of either country across the ter
-ftorZ, Of the other. etc Finally however, the
canadians have sought so far 10 extend the
commission method as render unavoidable
an unequivocaI refusal by the United states
CANNOT ACCEPT CANADA's PLAN
,ben Mr.. Bryce in an earnest endeayor to
meet the demands Of the Canadian authorities.
sought to have the commission to which it had
,een tentatively agreed submit the Niagara
question clothed with a practically unlimited
ease of life and with power finally 10 settle not
,nlv this question but numerous Others. incIud-
ng those which might in the future arise with
egard TO boundaries. etc. Replying 10 this
proposition Secretary Root pointed out that In
fleet il meant the conferring on a subordinate
commission of those treaty making powers
which the Constitution expressly provides shall
- vested only in the President and shall be
.xercised by him only with the advice and con-
ent Of the Senate He called attention To the
act that most International controversies
ouId be settled not bv strict adjudication in
.ccordance with the principles Of international
a,y but only by a series OF compromises be
ve.n the extreme contentious of the conteHdinG
,arties and finally he assured the ambassador
hat so foreign was the proposition 70 the Con-
situation that even apart from the fact that the
Continued sixth