The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-08

the past 12 months upon basis or . .le usual good will and friendly intercourse
 Arbitration
 The year just passed marks ah i'lap af tant general movement on the Pdi' 9 D. the powers for broader arpltratioh. atl the recognition of the manlloia pe"elli1 .lai to mankind in the extension oL 'ii0 . lev of the settlement of interhatioliai .,', mites by arbitration rather than Mad !, aad i,, resnonse 10 A widespread demand for an advance in that direction on tile mart of the people of the United Staees and of Great Britain and Of ffanoe, 1't arbitration treaties were nesotlat&ou & ~ snrinr with Great Britain ana aAee the terms of which were deslsheu, a expressed in the preamble or these .I;s.a ties. to extend the scope ana oplise5 +ions of tha nolicv of arbitration adoptea in o,Ir present treaties with those sVN- ernments. To pave the way TOT ehis treaty with the United States' .es Britain negotiated an important ln'u,.i ..d cation in its alliance with Japah' anu the French government also eApeuIe.1 .,, tho negotiations with signal sooo .tis Miii The new treaties have been supiiiieee1 to the Senate and are aWaltlns ie9 +;a,, vice and consent to their ratlIlcs1.ioit rat1..'.1t All the essentials of these lmportan. treaties have long been known' anu u is my earnest hope that they Will 1e- ceive prompt and favorable aetioh'
 Claim Settled I am glad to report that on oiI last the American claim or Alsop ~ -. against the government of Chlle was n- nallv disposed of by the decision or Ills Britannia Majesty George " lo miipl,l, pa5 as amiable compositeur, the matter % nau been referred for determination. Ills majesty made an award of nearly N'- nc ooO to the claimants, which was promptly paid by Chile. The settlement of this controversy has happily ehIl- mated from the relations between lhe republic of. Chile and the united states the only question which for two oe- cades had given the two foreign oi- ficss any serious concern and makes possible the unobstructed development or the relations of friendship which 1t mas been the aim of this government in eV- erv possible way to further and cultl- vate.
 Arbitrations
 Tn further illustration of the practical and beneficent application of the primer ple of arbitration and the underlying broad spirit of conciliation, I am happy to advert to the part of the United States .5n facilitating amicable settlement or disputes which menaced the peace De- .tyeen Panama and Costa Rica and pe- tween Haiti and the Dominican repup- lie.
 Since the date of their independence Colombia and Costa Riea have been seeking a solution of a boundary dispute, which came as a heritage from Colom- bia to the new republic of Panama, upon its beginning life as an independent na- tion Although the disputants had sup mitted this question for decision 10 the president of France under the terms or an arbitration treaty, the exact ner- pretation of the provisions of the award rendered had been a matter or serious disagreement between the two countries, both contending for widely different lines even under the terms of the de- cision. Subsequently, and since 1903 the boundary question had been the subject of fruitless diplomatic negotiations De- tween the parties. In January, l9lO, at the request of both governments the agents representing them met in con ference at the department of state ana subsequently, concluded a protocol sub mitting this long pending controversy to the arbitra1 judgment of the chief JUS tice of the United States, who conseqted to act in this capacity. boundary commission, acording to the inter- national agreement, has now been ap- pointed. and it is expected that the ar guments will shortly proceed and that this long standing dispute will be hon.
 
 Again, a few months ago it appeared that the Dominican Republic and Hayt1 were about to enter upon hostilities be- cause of complications growing out Of an acrimonious boundary dispute Whlch the efforts of many years had failed to solve. The government of the United States, by a friendly fnterposition of good offices, succeeded in prevailing upon the parties to place their reliance upon some form of pacific settlement. Accordingly, on the friendly sugges- tion of this government, the two gov ernments empowered commissioners to . meet in Washington in conference at the state department in order to ar range the terms of submission to arbi- tration of the boundary controversy.
 Our arbitration of the Chamizal boundary question with Mexico was unfortunately abortive, but with the earnest efforts on the part of both governments which its importance com- mands, it is felt that an early practical adjustment should prove possible.
 Latin America
 Venezuela-During the past year the Republic of Venezuela celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of its inde- pendence. The United States sent, in honor of this event, special embassy to Caracas, where the cordial recep- tion and generous hospitality shown 1t were most gratifying as a further proof of the good relations and friend ship existing between that country and the United States
 Mexico-The recent political events in Mexico received attention from this novernment because of the exceedingly delicate and difficult situation created along our southern border and the necessity for taking measures properly to safeguard American interests. The government of the United States, in its desire to secure a proper observance and enforcement of the so-called neu- trality statutes of the federal govern ment, issued directions to the appro- priate officers to exercise @ diligent and vigilant regard for the require ments of such rules and laws. AL though condition of actual armed con- flict existed, there was no official recognition of belligerency involving the technical neutrality obligations oi International law.
 On March 6. last, in the absence of the Secretary of State, I had a per sonal interview with MT. Wilson, the ambassador of the United States tC Mexico, in which he reported to me that the conditions in Mexico were much more critical than the press dis patches disclosed; that President Diaz was on a volcano of popular uprising that the small outbreaks which had oc- curned were only symptomatic of the whole condition that very large pel cent of the people were in sympathy with the insurrection; that a genera explosion was probable at any time, il which case he feared that the 40,00' or more American residents in Mexico might be assailed, and that the yer, large American investments might b injured or destroyed.