New-York tribune., 1909-03-07

political integrity which caused him TO resign
the chief magistracy rather than be a party to
an act Of the ministry and Of the legislature
which he did not approve, he nevertheless rem
dered in Difference to the views Of his advisers,
an award so manifestly unfair in favor Of Portu-
gal and so obviously prompted by the Gallo
prejudice which then was very pronounced
against Great Britain that it remains to this
day Of the most striking examples OF
bias and undue influence in-the history Of inter
national arbitration. This award has always
ranked in the bosom of the English in conse-
quence of the unfairness Of the verdict, and rem
dered the British government very cautious at
first about definitely committing itself to the
principle of arbitration contained in the pro
gramme of the peace conference of The Hague
Indeed it serves Illustration of my argu-
ment against the selection of chiefs of state as
arbitrators that although the interests involved
in the Delagoa Bay controversy were immeasur-
ably inferior in importance to the Alabama
award vet the latter, while it constituted a
severe blow to John Bulls pocket and to John
Bulls pride, accepted in silence and with
out grumbling just because it had been given,
not by any one arbitrator. but by an interna-
tional tribunal assembled for the purpose at
Geneva.
Old Emperor William, fine soldier and chiv-
alrous gentleman, but who understood nothing
upon some forty years or ago to determine
the so-called San Juan boundary question be-
tween the United States and Great Britain,
which he did in 1872 in manner quite the re-
verse of satisfactory to England. The late En-
peror OF Russia, who knew little about South
America and cared less, accepted an invitation
to arbitrate in the dispute between France and
Holland on the subject of the boundaries of
their respective colonial possessions in Guiana,
and fa;la +o her of he to
controversy. King Victor Emmanuel has acted
as umpire in boundary dispute between Great
Britain and Brazil. and King Edward has offici-
ated umpire in a conflict OF the same char
acter between Chill and Peru, although neither
he his brother monarch of Italy has ever
visited the southern portion of this hemisphere,
and both very much in the dark about the
geographical and political conditions of that
restless moiety OF the New World. The late
King of the Belgians was invited TO settle a
difficulty between the United States and Chill in
connection with the seizure of specie on board
the United States frigate Macedonian By the
Chilian fleet, and the mother of the present King
of Spain. while regent offciated arbitrator in
boundary disputes between Colombia and Ven
ezuea and between Peru and Ecuador.
In conclusion, it may be well to call attention
to the species of reluctance manifested not
merely by nonarchical countries, but by repub-
ferences TO the International tribunal at The
Hague, and to their preference to invoke instead
the services Of individual arbitrators in spite of
the fact that the latter less likely to render
q impartial verdict. Indeed, were il not for the
United States which has recently referred GER
tain pending issues with Great Britain to the
tribunal of The Hague, the latter would be en-
titled to complain that 1t had little or no work
on its hands. This Discrimination to invoke the
good offices of the tribunal Of The Hague must
be ascrbed to a sort Of feeling that it's exist
ence affects in a measure the sovereign rights Of
nations.
Each Independent state insists upon the right
OF regulating its policy in accordance with the
views and interests Of its people. irrespective OF
any foreign tribunal, either at The Hague or in
any other capital; and despite the fact that all
the powers imbued with a desire for the
maintenance of peace. and have therefore given
their nominal approval to the organization Of the
tribunal of The Hague yet each Of them.
with the possible exception OF the United States
Is influenced by the sentiments expressed by
Frederick the Great when, in 1853. the Margrave
OF Anspach' his brother-in-iaw. acting in behalf
of number of European monarchs. approached
him with a view to the creation of an interna-
tional court Of arbitration. Frederick the Great.
in a letter bearing the date OF July % that
year, declined to be consenting party to the
proposal, winding up with the following para
graph: Il must not omit to observe that I couId
never submit to a court of arbitration as pro
posed by you' which attacks directly the SOW
ereign rights Of every ruler"
EX-ATTACHE
u always measure my woros' SAID the taJka
What do you use?" asked a Ia,onjc listener "a
rd-IIa