Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-04
HAGUE TO SOLVE
MANY PROBLEMS
GOOD OFFICES OF TRIBUNAL
OF PEACE INVOKED
DIFFICULT DISPUTES OF UNITED
STATES REFERRED
International Court of Arbitration VIII
Be Asked to Adjust Plous Fund
of californians and Other
Tangles

WASHINGTON, D. c., April g.
Again the good offices of the inter-
national court of arbitration at Inc
Hague are to be invoked to settle i'm
portant international disputes, this
time in matters in which the American
government is vitality interested.
1t will not be the first occasion in
which recourse has been made to that
august tribunal in issues in which this
government has figured, the cases or
the Plus fund of the CALIFORNIA; and OF
the preferred creditors" of Vene-
zuela which were awarded preferen-
tial treatment following blockade or
her ports, both having been passed on
by the court and each of Importance
to the United States.
Neither Of them, however, is re-
garded as of as great consequence as
that, primarily, of the Interpretation
to be placed on article / of the treaty
of 1918 touching the rights OF Amer
leans to fish in the waters of New
foundland and, secondarily, 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 fisheries
dispute to be arbitrated, has been rat
flied by the senate and the two nations
interested have agreed on the arbi-
tration.
Affords New Prestige
In submitting to The Hague so i'm
portant a principle as that involved
in the fisheries controversy both the
American and the British governments
are giving that tribunal a prestige in
the initial stages of it's existence which
is regarded automatically as an in
ternational occurrence of the first
magnitude and one calculated to have
great influence in inspiring similar
action by other nations burdened with
International disputes. which IL not
adjusted. may lead to serious results.
The findings of the court will be
awaited with the greatest interest and
impatience by the New England fishing
interests, for 1t means much to that
hardy class of men who yearly make
the Newfoundland shore their rendeZ-
vous and who supply a large portion
of the northeastern markets with fSh
food products.
Their treaty rights have been ques-
toned, their work interfered 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
government.
The disputes are of long standing.
and each country, confident of the cor
rectness of it's own contentious, is ex-
pected to abide by the decision of the
court.
VIII Require One Year
Because of the long time allowed for
the preparation of the case, the sub
mission of arguments, ETC., it will be
more than year before the questions
in dispute are fully before the tribunal
for decision.
: Years of effort and of argument by
the state department failed of success
in reaching basis of settlement of the
disputes with Venezuela, which finally
came as a result of suggestions 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 Iiol-
land following the breaking off of
friendly relations between the two ma
tions. =,
Secretary Root received in a cordial
spirit the advances 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 results 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 pre-