Arizona republican., 1909-12-08

 and complaint. This is the first case involving such great international ques- ! tions which has been submitted to the
 permanent court of arbitration at The Hague.
 The Canadian Boundary I The treaty between the l. S and Great Britain concerning the Canadian international boundary concluded April
 II. 1908. authorizes the appointment of : the two commissioners to define and ! mark accurately the international
 boundary line between the l.. $ and ! the Dominion of Canada in the waters
 of Passamaquoddy bay and provides for the exhcange of briefs within the
 period of six months.
 1 The briefs were duly presented with ! in the prescribed period. but as the 1 commissioners failed to agree within
 six months after the exchange of the
 printed statements. as required by the
 treaty. it has now become necessary to resort to the arbitration provided | for in the article.
 The international fisheries commits
 sion. appointed pursuant to and under authority of the convention of April | II. 1908, between the |. :. and Great Britain. has completed a system of
 uniform and common international
 regulations for the protection and preservation of the good fisheries in ] international boundary waters of the
 L. s. and Canada.
 The regulations will be duly sub ! mitted to congress with a view to the enactment of such legislation as will | be necessary under the convention to | put them into operation.
 The convention providing for the settlement of international differences between the United States and Cana [ da. including the appOrtionment be- : tween the two countries of arbitra-
 ton of the boundary waters and the appointment of commissioners to ad' 1 just certain other questions. signed on
 the 11th day of January. 1909. and to the ratification of senate to give it's advice on March 13. 1909. has not yet been ratified on the part of Great Britain.
 Commissioners have been appointed on the part of the United States to act jointly with commissioners on the | question of instructions in the St. John river between Maine and New ! Brunswick. and to make recommenda- tions of the regulation of the use thereof. and are now engaged in this work.
 Negotiations for an international conference tO consider and reach an arrangement providing for the preser- vation and protection of the fur seals ! in the north Pacific are in progress with the governments of Great Britain, Japan and Russia. The attitude of 1 the governments interested leads me to hope for a satisfactory settlement of this question as the ultimate out come of the negotiations.
 The Hague Conference The second peace conference recent | ly held at the Hague adopted a con- | vention for the establishment of an in- ternational prize court upon the joint proposal of delegations of the r. S, France. Germany and Great Britain. The law to be observed by the trib- unal in the decision of the prize cases | was however. left in an uncertain and therefore unsatisfactory state. Article : of the convention provided that the court was to be governed by the pro- visions of treaties existing between the belligerents. but that in the ab sence Of such provisions the court shall apply the rules of international law. If no general recognized rule exists the court shall give judgment in accordance with the general prin- ciples of justice and equity. As. however. many questions in interna- tional maritime law are understood differently and therefore interpreted differently in various cases. it was deemed advisable not to entrust leg islative powers to the proposed court. but to determine the rules of law properly applicable in conference of the representative maritime nations Pursuant to an invitation of Great Britain. conference was held at London from December ,. 1908. to February 26. 1909. in which the fol- lowing powers participated: The United States. Austria Hungary. France. Germany. Great Britain. Italy. Japan. The Netherlands. Russia and Spain The conference resulted in the