The daily sentinel., 1909-04-06
IBy Associated Press. /

of arbitration at The Hague are to
be invoked to settle important inter-
national disputes. this time in mat
ters in which the American govern
ment is vitality interested.
1t will not be the first time in
which recourse has been made to
that august tribunal in issues in
which this government has figured,
the cases of the pious fund of the
CALIFORNIA; and of the preferred
creditors of Venezuela which were
awarded preferential treatment fol-
lowing a blockade of her ports, both
having been passed on by the court
and each of Importance to the United
States. Neither of them, however,
are regarded as of as great conse-
quence as that, primarily, of the in
| depreciation to be placed on article
of the treaty of 1918 touching the
rights of Americans to fish in the
waters of Newfoundland, and. sec
ondarily, the issues to be arbitrated
as result of the agreement recently
reached between Mr.. Buchanan, the
American special commissioner and
| President Gomez of Venezuela, both
of which are to go to The Hague.
The compromise" negotiated by
| Secretary Root with Ambassador
Bryce, which incorporates the fisher
| les dispute to be arbitrated, has been
ratified by the senate and the two
nations interested have agreed on
the arbitration.
In submitting to The Hague so
| important a principle as that in
| volved in the fisheries controversy
both the American and the British
governments are giving that tribunal
a prestige in the initial stages of its
| existence which is regarded diplo-
matically as an international occur
renee of the first magnitude and one
calculated to have great influence in
inspiring similar action by other ma
tions burdened with international
disputes, which If not adjusted may
lead to serious results. The findings
OF the court will be awaited with the
greatest interest and impatienee by
the New England fishing interests.
for 1t means much to that hardy class
of men who yearly make the New
foundland shore their rendezvous and
who supply a large portion of the
northeastern markets with fish food
products. Their treaty rights have
been questioned. their work inter-
fered with and they have suffered
from the attempted enforcement of
certain local laws or regulations the
privilege to enact which has been
warmly contested by this govern
ment. The disputes are of long
standing and each country confident
of the correctness of its own conten-
tions is expected to abide by the de-
cision of the court.
Because of the long time allowed
for the preparation of the case. the
submission of arguments, ETC., it will
be more than year before the ques-
tions in dispute are fully before the
tribunal for decision.
Years of effort. and of arguments
by the state department failed of sue
cess in reaching basis of settlement
of the disputes with Venezuela, that
finally came as n result of sugges-
tions made by President Gomez. after
Castro left Venezuela and when that
country was being harassed by the
action of the Dutch war vessels sent
there by Holland following the break
ing of of friendly relations between
the two nations. Secretary Root re-
ceived in a cordial spirit the advan-
ces made by Gomez and sent Mr.,
Buchanan to Venezuela promptly
with full instructions to deal with
the subject of the settlement of the
claims and the result of his labors
are said to be satisfactory alike to
both the state department and to
the South American republic. The
| strained situation which had preced-
| ed Mr.. Buchanan's mission for so
| long period was source of regret
| to Secretary Root who has taken a
great deal of interest N the well be-
ing of our sister republics to the
south, and he pointed out that the
| American government had on repeat
J ed occasions intervened as n friend
in need in behalf of Venezuela to
relieve her from disagreeable and
I dangerous complications with other
powers.
That a majority of the disputes
are to go to The Hague is regarded
favorably, for ii removes any oppor-
tunity for charges of force or intim-
idation, which might have been made
against this government had they
been settled directly between the two
countries.
III The willingness of the United
States to thus dispose of them, II is
pointed out, demonstrates to the ma
tions of this hemisphere. its faith in
the honor and fairness of the court
/ leaving to the fate of that tribunal
| questions affecting the interests OF
| countries In which this government
= in some respects exercises a paternal
interest and in whose behalf 1t al
ways stands ready to uphold the
Monroe Doctrine.
Various phases of three disputes
go to The Hague as a result of Mr.
Buchanan's negotiations. namely;
That of the United States and Vene-
zuela Company which claims it has
been deprived of the right to mine
asphalt and to build a railroad: that
of the Orinoco corporation which