St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-09-13
International Arbitration.

International Arbitration.
Two very interesting personages
have discussed international arbi-
tration during the last week, Pres
ident Taft in a public speech at
Hartford, Conn, and ex-President
Roosevelt in the Outlook.
Among other things Mr. Roose-
welt said:
| But no sound argument can be
made for permitting both the presi-
dent and the senate to delegate to
outsiders, possibly to foreigners, the
exercise of fundamental and vital
power. If a president after consult
ing with his constitutional advisers,
the senate, could not make up his
own mind about such vital ques-
ton, and had to have it made up
for him by outsiders possibly for
eigners and certainly not RESPONSE
BILE to the people-it would be
proof positive that he was not fit
to hold the exalted position to
which he had been elected. A pres
dent unfit to make such a decision
himself, and willing. to have some
body else make it for him, would
| olOO NC On1IC W p0IlOIm duy O1 Lu0
really important duties of the pres
idency.
In other words, Uncle Sam does
not intend to wrong any one, but
neither does he intend to bind him
self, if his pocket is picked, his
house burglarized, or his face slap
ped, to @|arbitrate'' with the wrong
doer; and as long as he does not
intend so to bind himself, it would
be offensive hypocrisy for him to
say that he will so bind himself.
President Taft in his speech said:
The ideal toward which we, are all
working with these treaties is the
ultimate establishment of an arbi-
trail court to which we shall submit
with the same freedom and the
same dependence on the judgment
as in the case of domestic courts. If
the senate cannot bind itself to sub
nit questions of jurisdiction arising
under the treaty, as Norway and
Sweden have done for instance, then
the prospect is most discouraging.
And in this great movement (uni-
versal peace) we are the hope of
the world. This hope by the pro-
posed narrow construction of the
senate's power to make a treaty, we
are now to strike down. To the
men and women who are struggling
and longing, we say: Look not to
us for leadership. We can not even
J follow" Let other nations arbi-
trate; let others even set up a high
court of nations and pledge their
faith that they will resort no more
to the dread arbitrament of war,
but will abide by the verdict of their
| n ind 7D7si
can nation is unable by it's consti-
tuition to help forward the great
movement, is unable to bind itself
to any future broad submission OF
it's case to an arbitral court, though
the whole world follows this light
of civilization and peace. For re-
member if the senate cannot now
bind us to abide the judgment OF
an arbitral court as to whether a
question is justiciable, it can never
bind us, and if the senate cannot
bind US, the nation cannot bind US
and this peace-loving people is for.
ever incapable of taking steI
? along the great path which all the
world wishes to tread and along
which all the world thinks Ameri
ca best fteed to lead.
OF course the above excerpts dc
hOI S1NS all S1InGI party SdlQ Du
they make clear the position Of
: each. Mr.. Roosevelt declares thai
an arbitration treaty like the one
: proposed would be offensive by
? procisy" because Uncle Sam does
: not intend to have This face slap
t ped" ETC., and arbitrate the ques
2 ton. If President Taft's ideal as
2 expressed above could be realizet
2 no nation that had entered an arbf
tration agreement with us would
1 attempt to slap US in the face. I.
: nation that had not entered intc
t such an agreement with us should
slap us in the face we are no
bound to arbitrate. So Mr.. Roose
welt opposes arbitration because ht
: is unwilling to give up the posi-
: bility of declaring war on nations
: willing to make a more honorable
: agreement with US.
L Read again President Taft
: ideal of an arbitral court to which
e we shall submit our internationa
s controversies with the same freed
S ON and the same dependence on tn,
/, Judgment as in the case of domesti,