The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-08-04
THREE NATIONS JOIN
IN PEACE LEAGUE


dor Bryce to say good-by. The Am
bassador raised his never absent um-
brella and walked of in the rain as though
he had done no more than enjoy an after
noon cup Of tea with the President
| The probability is that the treaties will
he ratified by the Senate at this session.
Some slight opposition has been stirred
up by Irish American appeals against
tho treaty with Great Britain. hut these
are not considered serious The only
stand which the Senate could take against
the English or the French treaties would
be on the question of an abridgement of
the Senate's treaty-making powers. This
defeated the general arbitration treaty
drawn between this country and Great
Britain In 1897.
Under existing arbitration treaties,
which do not include questions of vital
interest, the protocol stating the questions
at issue goes to the Senate for ratification.
The Senate passes not only on the pro-
priety of arbtrating any question. but
also on the manner in which the questions
to be submitted to The Hague court are
stated.
Under the conventions signed to-day.
however. which will supersede the present
limited arbitration treaties. all disputes
| will be arbitrated or settled by direct
negotiations, and the Senate will not have
an opportunity of passing upon the pro-
priety OF arbtrating any disputes. The
State Department believes however, that
the rights of the Senate in this regard
have been conserved by n retention of
| power to approve Or disapprove the
statement of the questions at issue.
The Administration is hopeful of action
on the treaties at this session For this
reason special arrangements we're made
| tn hav ha nf q trpnph
here witnessed by representatives OF
that Government and the signing of the
| American copy al Paris witnessed 10y
! Ambassador Bacon BY this arrange
ment both treaties were fully executed
to-day without the delay incident to
an exchange by messenger between
Washington and Paris. Ambassador
Jusserand signed the French copy of the
| Franco American treaty in Paris.
| Because the Senate was not in session
TODAY Secretary Knox could not make
the text of the treaties public. II is known.
however. that they are practically iden-
| tical and that there have been no i'm
portant changes from the treaty as
originally suggested by Secretary Knox.
| The treaties provide for the arbitratio ion
Of all disputes, including questions of
national honor and vital interest. which
have heretofore always been excepted in
| arbitration conventions. In effect the
treaties seek TO accomplish their purpose
of averting war by interposing diplomatic
machinery which will insure a delay
threatened combatants time to cool
of and consider questions in sober
second thought. The treaties provide q
means for giving diplomacy second
chance after it has failed in the first
instance to settle any dispute. President
Taft himself has declared that the
treaties will depend for their At strength on
moral support and are designed to curb
rash action by placing every reasonable
barrier in the way of war.
The larger part OF the text OF the treaty
is taken up with outlining the machinery,
The treaties provide that all differences
that are internationally justifiahle shall
he submitted to The Hague tribunal,
unless by special agreement some other
tribunal is created or selected. They
provide that differences which either
party to one of the treaties thinks are not
internationally justitiable shall be re-
ferred to commission of inquiry, with
power to make recommendations for the er
settlement. As originally proposed by
Secretary Knox, this commission was
to be made up of nationals of the two
governments who are members of the
| The Hague court. In the treaty with
Great Britain this proposition has been
changed so that the commission is to be
composed of an equal number of repre-
sentatives of the two contracting
| countries.
Great Britain insisted upon this change
pointing out that it would be nece ssary
for her interests in the event of a third
party. one Of her colonies. for instance
| being involved in controversy. Great
Britain's representatives argued that in
the event of "a controversy involving
| South Africa, for instance, that colony
| would not be able TO have direct rep
resentation on the commission because
1t had no member of The Hague court
Great Britain considered it essential that
her colonies not represented on The
| Hague court should have the opportunity
of direct representative on any com :
mission considering n question involving
the colonies interest.
| In the event of this commission de-
Gliding that any difference referred To it
should be arbitrated this decision is to
be binding upon the parties to the treaties.
Arbitrations are TO be conducted under
terms of submission subject to the advice
and consent of the Senate. Before ar
bltration Is resorted to. however. even in
cases where both countries agree that the
difference Is one susceptible of arbitral
decision the commission of inquiry shall
investigate the necessity of arbitration.
The action Of the commission is not to
have the effect of an arbitral award.
The commission at the request of either
Government shall delay it's findings one
year to give opportunity for diplomatic
settlement.
| ! ne auop'ioh oi lnese trehtles Is con-
sidered personal triumph for Mr.. Taft.
He first publicly suggested negotiation
| of general arbitration treaties in an ad-
dress made by him before the American
Society for the Judicial Settlement Of In
ternntionai Disputes, on December Ia
last.
Ambassador Jusserand of Franco at that
time expressed his belief in such IL treaty.
Nothing was at that time heard officially
from the French Government, but the
suggestion was taken mp in Great l'ritain,
and in April Sir Edward Grey, Minister
of Foreign Affairs or Great Britain, made
a speech in the House of Commons, in
which he said that the proposal for tho
negotiations of such treaty between
Great Britain and the United States
would be welcomed by the British Gov
| ernment
Finally on May II announcement was
| made that the State Department had