The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-11-07
TAFT'S ARBITRATION
SCHEME ENDORSED
President Schurman Of Cornell Univer-
sity Made Vigorous Defense at
Convention in Cincinnati
To-day.

Cincinnati, Nov Jacob Gould
Schurman, president of Cornell uniyer-
sity, delivered an address to-day on
President Tafts treaties before the
American Society for the judicial Set
Element of international Disputes. Aft
er reviewing the moral progress made
by the race toward universal peace and
goodwill, and the cost and burden OF
war, and discussing whether or not the
peace treaties endanger our national
policies, President Schurman said in
conclusion:
"The critics OF this treaty have in
many important respects misconeelved
its character and purpose and mlsread
It's terms. This explains the fantastic
criticism that if the treaty be ratified
by the Senate our foreign policies, the
Monroe doctrine, OF questions Of purely
governmental policy, like the regulation
OF immigration, may be taken out of the
hands OF our government and people and
settled by the fiat of five or six gentle
men, half of whom are citizens OF for
eign countries The most that the six
members of the commission OF inquiry
can do is to determine whether dispute
which has been referred to them comes
under the class of arSitrabie cases de-
scribed in the first section OF this treaty
but since these cases are limited to mat
tiers OF right ascertainable by principles
OF law or equity, it ought to be obvious
even TO a schoolboy that matters Of our
domestic and foreign policy, like the
tariff, immigration, and the Monroe doc
trine, are entirely excluded from arbi-
tration, since they are in their nature
non justiciable. These are questions OF
national policy and conduct, which we
must settle for ourselves.
"ln this respect, as in so many 9th
ers, national life may profitably be com.
pared with personal life. The law Of
the land contains commands and prohibi-
tons which concern the individual, and
social morality inspires and restraints
him in every direction; yet despite these
external regulations, however imperious
and majestic, in a large portion of his
personal conduct the individual must be
subject to the dictates OF his own con-
science and remain absolutely a law TO
himself
"The object Of President Taft's peace
treaties is not to divest the nation OF
the inalienable responsibility OF regulat
ing its own national life, but TO extend
the rule of law in its international rela
tions so that international justice and
equity may not permanently remain go
very far behind municipal justice and
equity as they do in the present stage OF
the worlds civilization.
Il do not think the proposed treaty
needs any amendment whatever But
III ! have correctly analysed its meaning
and implications, there would be no OBJ
iections, If this is necessary TO secure
the votes OF opponents of the treaty in
the Senate. to combine with the ratifiea-
tion of the treaty an interpretatiye
clause as suggested by Mr. Root to the
effect that the treaty does not authorize
the submission to arbitration Of any
question which depends upon or in.
wolves the maintenance of the tradition
al attitude of the United States CON
corning American questions, or other
purely governmental policy
"We do not want To strike out a sim
gle sentence Of the proposed treaty. We
nhputu oppDSe lne pfopusai OF Ibe ma
iority report of the Senate committee ON
foreign relations recommending that
there be stricken from it the third clause
Of article IIIAthe clause providing for
arbitration when all or all but one Of
the members of the commission Of in
quiry agree that question submitted to
it falls within the scope of the first
article of the treaty. I think that en-
lightened public opinion, instructed as
it now is regarding the true interpreted.
tion Of the treaty approves Of the
treaty in its entirety For my own
part, believe that the treaty, If rati-
fed. win mark an epoch in the moral his
tory of mankind earnestly coyet for
the United States the honor and glory
Of initiating this great reform.
"And I venture to predict that If ev-
erything else President Taft has accom-
plished or may accomplish fall prey
to the nav of time and oblivion. his
leadership in the cause of international
peace and Justice win enshrine his name
with enduring renown in the moral an
nails Of mankind"
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