Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-12-23

general arbitration between the
tinted States and Great Britain and
the United States and France.
Instead of the previous exceptions
1t is provided by these treaties that:
"AIl differences hereafter arising be-
tween the high contracting parties,
which it has not been possible to adj
just by diplomacy, relating to in
ternational matters in which the high
contracting parties are concerned. by
virtue of a claim of right made by
one against the other under treaty
or otherwise, and which are Justice
able in their nature by reason by
being susceptible Of decision by the
application of the principles of law
and equity shall be submitted to the
Permanent Court of arbitration es-
tablished at The Hague by the con-
vention of oct. IS, 1907, or to some
other tribunal, as shall be decided in
each case by special agreement"
Article Three provides that a Joint
High Commission of Inquiry, if eth
er party requests, shall be constituted
to determine whether any case, which
has arisen between the parties, is
iustieeable within the meaning of the
foregoing provision. In case all, or
all but one of the commission, which
will re composed of three citizens OF
each nation, shall decide in the af-
frmative then the difference is to be
referred to arbitration. Section One
had provided that The special agree
ment in each case shall be made on
| the part of the United States by the
President of the United States by
and with the advice and the consent
of the Senate thereof"
It is contended that the treaties, if
aaopted, would take from the Senate
some portion of it's constitution pre-
rogative. The claim, so far as I am
| aware. rests upon the opinion of the
majority committee of the foreign re-
| lations. The chairman of the COM
mittea, Senator Cullom, and Senator
Root, lawyers of the highest emil
nence, do not agree with the major
ity but believe that the treaties should
be ratified as they stand with the
! understanding that "the treaty does
not authorize the submission to ar
| bitration of any question which &C.
Ponds upon or involves the mainten-
| enee of the traditional attitude OF
| the United States concerning Ameri-
| can questions or other purely gov
ernmental policy
| Senator Burton of the committee
does not think that it is necessary te
| express even that understandings
| The President of the United states
Secretary Knox. Judge Simeon F.
| Baldwin, Former Senator Ealnands
| Prof. John Bassett Moore. Chief Jus
| tiee Marcus p. Knowlton. Senator
| williams, Albert f. Pillsbury and
many others. jurists of the highest
| authority believe that the treaties
| should be ratified as they stand.
| The majority of the committee is
not opposed to the treaties as whole
| but believes that one paragraph in
| Article Three should be striker out
| on the ground that 1T deprives the
! senate of the right to determine the
| wisdom of the reference. 1t would
| certainly be most lamentable if upon
such disagreement as this the tret-
| les should fail of ratification.
There is no danger that the Senate
| will be overawed or coerced by the
| award commission. It ought to be
helped and guided by it. The great
/ value Oh ti1e tDIHfHiSsiOl Is thdL II W az
certainly be composed of jurists of tho
! highest eminence bound to IAN i'm
| partial and conscientious inyestiga-
/ ton of any controversy between th'
| parties Its deliberations will bt
removed from the heat of yellow ex-
citement and from the dread of lingo
| vengeance. 1t will hear beth sides as
| nations on the verge of war never
| do. Its deliberations may be post
| poned at the option Of either party
| until the expiration of year AFTER
| it's formal request for its organiZa
| ton. You can't force nations into
| war if they have a year in which to
! cool off. You can't destroy men by
| the thousands and tens of thousands
and turn industry into devastation
and brand white agony in women
faces if YOU have time to think and
learn the facts and hear the judg
ment of sound men.
The Joint banquet of the church
clubs of Augusta was the first event
of it's kind that has ever been held in
this city and proved so thoroughly
successful that it may be repeated in
the near future with equally Gistin-
euished speaker as the center of at
traction Norman l.. Bassett of the
Unitarian club was the chairman OF
the committee Of arrangements and
it was largely though his untiring ef-
forts that the affair was made the
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