Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1912-11-14
PEACE PACT WITH
BRITAIN CL|MMERS
Bryce to Resign Sir Cecil Ar
thur Spring Rice Believed to
Be Slated for Vacancy.

Washington, Nov. 1.-THE voluntary
retirement of Ambassador James
Bryce, OF Great Britain, which Is ex-
pected to be formally announced today
or tomorrow, it is believed. will mark
the abandonment of any purpose on the
part of the United States to secure the
contamination Of the pending general
arbitration treaty with Great Britain.
The first impulse of the president aft
er the Senate had amended the treaty
during last session in spite Of the pro-
tests Of the administration senators was
to Immediately abandon the conven-
ton and to decline to undertake to in
duce the British government to accept
the amendments which struck at the
very essence of the principle Of unre-
stricted arbitration.
After more mature consideration,
however, and frequent conferences be-
tween Secretary Knox and Ambassador
Bryce, the president was disposed to
consider the advisability Of pressing
the treaty to a conclusion on the theory
that 1t would at least constitute q
notice to the world Of the intention Of
the principle Of arbitration in. their
further dealings.
Plan Impractical.
Recently. however, the administra-
ton became convinced Of the imprac-
ticability of this plan and 1t is be-
lieved the final decision Of the pres
ldent to drop every treaty was the de-
termining factor in bringing about AM
bassador Bryce's decision to retire.
round out his diplomatic career by
signing a treaty, which would stand as
mile post on the history of the
growth of International altruism and
the peaceable settlement Of interna-
tional disputes.
Sir Cecil Arthur Spring Rice, who is
likely to succeed Mr.. Bryce, has had q
long and distinguished service in the
diplomatic field and is we'll remembered
here for his long service at the British
embassy during the days Of Lord
-Pauncefote. At the foreign office in
posts and has been closely identified at
various times with the Earl of Grand
vile, Lord Roseberry and more recent
ly with Lord Curzon, while governor
general of India. Sir Arthur was at the
British embassy here at the time Lord
was one of the leading figures in that
international ceremony. Later he was
minister to Persia, where he carried
forward the Curzon policy of a mutual
Russ1an-Anglo policy as to Persia. He
retired from the Persian post previous
to the storm which ragged during the
presence there of w. Morgan Shuster.
jr. More recently he has been British
minister to Sweden.
While the news that Ambassador
Bryce Is to retire will be received with
deep regret in official circles, and by
the country generally, it is not wholly
unexpected, There has been no break
In the harmonious relations of the dis
tinguished Englishman and his govern
ment, but it has been an open secret
for some time that Mr.. Bryce, advanc-
ing In years, desired to surrender his
post and give entire attention to the
completion OF the literary work which
has occupied SO large part of his
life. His book on South America,
written since his tour of that country
two years ago, is just off the press, and
he Is about to begin a work covering
his recent tour of Australia and New
Zealand
Troublesome Problems.
Facing the British ambassador in the
United States just now are several
troublesome problems. and it is known
that Mr.. Bryce's friends feared if he
continued in office at this time he
would break down his health and prob
ably have to discontinue his literary
efforts. Among other things, the Pam
anna canal toll question promises to
furnish heavy disag reement and an
unsatisfactory diplomatic task with
little prospect of being brought to 9
successful conclusion.