The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-08
MESSAGE ON
OUR FOREIGN
! RELATIONS
x.

President TAFT Describes the
Mobilization Of IroopsOuing
the Mexican Revolution.
Why Troops Were ssnt-chisf Exseu-
tive Urges Adoption Of His Arhitra.
tion Trsatfss-rhs Chinese Loans.
New Treaty With Japan-rroublss
With Great Britain ssttIsd-Forsisn
Trade Relations Of the United States.
Diplomatic Service Improving.
TO the Senate and House Of Repre-.
sentatives:
The relations Of the United States
with other countries have continued
during the past twelve months upon a
basis Of the usual good viii and friend.
,ly intercourse.
Arbitration.
The year just passed marks an i'm.
portant general movement on the part
OF the powers for broader arbitration.
In tho recognition Of tho manifold
benefits to mankind In the extension
Of the policy Of the settlement Of inter-
national disputes BY arbitration rather
than BY war and In response to a wide.
spread demand for an advance in that
direction on the part of the people. Of
the United States and. Of Great Brit
ain and Of France, new arbitration
treaties were negotiated last spring
with Great Britain and France. the
terms Of which were designed, as ex-
pressed in the preamble Of these trea-
ties, to extend the scope and obliga-
tons Of the policy Of arbitration adopt
ed In our present treaties with those
governments. To pave the way for
this treaty with the United States,
Great Britain negotiated an important
modification in its alliance with Japan,
and the French government also az.
pedited the negotiations with signal
good will. The new treaties have been
submitted to the senate and are await.
ing its advice and consent to their
ratification. All the essentials Of these
Important treaties have long been
known, and it is my earnest hope that
they will receive prompt and favora.
BILE action.
Claim Of Alsep 4 Co. Settled.
am glad to report that on July 8
last the American claim Of Alsop &
Co. against the government Of Chile
was finally disposed Of by the decision
of his Britannia majesty George ", to
whom. as amiable compositeur. the
matter had been referred for determi.
nation. His majesty made an award
Of nearly 100000 to the claimants.
which was promptly paid by Chile.
The settlement Of this controversy has
happily eliminated from the relations
between the republic Of Chile and the
United States the only question which
for two decades had given the two for.
eign Offices any serious concern and
makes possible the unobstructed de-
velopment Of the relations Of friend.
ship which it has been the aim of this
government in every possible way to
further and cultivate.
observation-disclosures and Costa Rios.
Colombia and Haiti.
In further illustration Of the practi-
cal and benefcent application Of the
principle of arbitration aud the under.
lying broad spirit Of Cancellation, l am
happy to advert to the part Of the
United States In facilitating amicabls
settlement Of disputes which menaced
the peace between Panama and Costa
RIGA and between Haiti and the Do
minfcan Republic.
Since the date Of their independence
Colombia and Costa Rica had been
seeking a solution Of a boundary dis.
pute which came as a heritage from
Colombia to the new republic of Pana-
ma upon it's beginning life as an indie
pendent nation. Although the dis
putants had submitted this question
for decision to the president Of France
under the terms of an arbitration trea-
ty. the exact Interpretation Of the pro.
visions of the award rendered had been
a matter of serious disagreement be-
tween the two countries. both contend
Ing for widely different lines aver un.
der the terms of the decision. Subse-
quently and since 1908 this boundary
question had been the subject Of fruit
less diplomatic negotiations between
the parties. In January, 1910, at the
request Of both governments the agents
representing them met in conference
ct the department of state and subse.
! quently concluded q protocol submit
: ting this long pending controversy to
the arbitral judgment Of tho chief
Justice Of the United States, who con-
sented to act in this capacity. A
boundary commission, according to
the international agreement, has now
been appointed. and it is expected that
the arguments will shortly proceed and
that this long standing dispute will be
honorably and satisfactorily terminal.
ed.
Again, a few months ago it appeared
that the Dominican Republic and Hal
II were about to enter upon hostilities
because Of complications growing out
Of an acrimonious boundary dispute
which the efforts of many years had
failed to solve. The government Of the
United States, by a friendly interposi.
lion of good Offices, succeeded in pre-.
vailing upon the parties to place their
reliance upon some form of pacific set