Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-03
TIGHT LEGAL KNOTS
VenezueIa's Attitude Express
i've of National Dignity.
uPHoLDs' OWN JUDICIARY
Latin.American Contracts Violated
by American Claimants.
LYNCHING OF NEGRO JOHNSON
Unique Problem as to Supreme
Courts Power to Punish State
Officers for Contempt.
LYNCH1NG OF NEGRO JOHNSON
Ely WILLIAM r. CURTIS.

Ely WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Complications which have arisen in
Venezuela are precisely the same which
caused the suspension of relations with
Castro. They involve principle which
is of vital importance to all other Ameri-
can republics. because it affects their
dignity and national honor.
The United States demands that Vene-
zuela shall consent to the arbitration of
questions which have already been ar
bitrated or have been decided in the local
courts. That government naturally OBJ
jects to repudiating Its judiciary or ad-
hitting that the judgment of the previ-
GUS arbitration was unjust.
In every one of the four cases under dis
pute the claimants entered into contracts
and accepted concessions. with the stipu-
lation that any differences that might
arise should be submitted to the courts
of that country. In each case they
agreed not to appeal to the protection of
the government of the United States.
The presentation of these claims is
therefore a violation of that contract. It
IS an appeal from the decisions of the
courts which the claimant expressly
agreed that he would not appeal from.
The government of Venezuela insists
that the only question between the two
nations is whether these decisions furnish
just ground for further action. The de-
cisions must stand as rendered.
1t insists that the only question to be
arbitrated is whether further arbitration
Is necessary. Venezuela contends that it
is not. although that government is will
ing to submit to the judgment of dis
Interested and i'm n rfio1 tribunal
On the other hand. the government of
the United States appears as an attorney
for claimants who have violated their
contracts, justifies them in doing SO and
demands a new arbitration without re-
gard to previous decisions.
Question of National Honor.
This principle, as ] have said. is re-
garded as vital by all the other American
republics. Naturally, whatever they may
think of Castro as a man and a ruler,
they feel that their dignity and honor
as nations should not be attacked in this
manner.
We are trying to convince them that
we have nothing but the most sincere
feelings of friendship and regard for
their peace and prosperity. But one of
these little incidents will destroy con-
dition or confidence that it takes years
to build up. They realize that the United
States government would not entertain
such a proposition for a moment.
If a citizen of Venezuela should come
to the United States and enter into a
contract containing a stipulation that
any differences that might arise would
be submitted to our courts for adjudica-
ton. and pledge himself that he would
not appeal to his government for inter
vention in case the courts should de-
eide against him. do you suppose that
our Secretary of State or our President
or our Congress would listen for mo-
ment to a demand for arbitration? And
yet we demand that Venezuela should
do that exact thing.
The golden rule is a good thing in
diplomacy, in international relations,
in commerce and trade. and in every
other transaction between human be-
ings, and it embodies the first and high
est example that the United States
THE Grand Republic" as they call it
should set for it's neighbors. If the
demands which the government of the
United States is now making upon
Venezuela were to be made by the
government of Venezuela upon the
United States, we would not listen to
them. and we ought to put ourselves in
it's place.
One of the claims which Mr.. Buchan-
an is pressing, under instructions from
the Secretary Of State has already
been arbitrated. But the decision was
in favor of Venezuela instead of in fa-
vor of the claimant. and therefore we
demand another trial.
Does anybody suppose that we would
consent to second trial if the decision
had been in favor of the United States?
And yet Venezuela is still willing to
submit to arbitration the question of
whether the award of the first arbitra-
ton was just and regular.