The Washington herald., 1912-12-21
PEACE ADVOCATES
ON CANAL TOLLS
Resolutions Favoring Arbitration
Are introduced Before Society
: in Session Here.

Further details Of the Court OF Nations.
tribunal Of final appeal for the settle
ment Of international questions, that the
American Society for judicial Settlement
Of international Disputes hopes to see
established were taken I'D at the open-
| ing OF the third annual conference OF
the society at the Willard last night.
| Sessions this morning and afternoon ana
banquet at the Willard tonight at
which the sessions will be again taken
Up, will end the convention.
The aim OF the society is a court Of
| the nations, where questions may be set
| tied not by arbitration, but through a
regular process of law. In spite of this
a set of resolutions were introduced last
night deploring the idea of fixing tolls
OF English ships passing through tn.
| Panama Canal and urging the President
t" accept Great Britain's offer to arbl-
tIate the matter.
The resolutions were introduced by
Everett p. Wheeler Of New York They
held that the treaties existing between
England and the United States were
plain in the statement that the ships
OF the two nations should enjoy equal
rights Of passage in the canal There
was not time at last nights meeting for
discussion Of the resolutions and they
were referred to the executive committee
to be reported at the opening meeting
this morning at 10 o'clock.
DepIo.rs Country's Action.
In introducing the resolution calling on
the President to accept Great Britain's
offer of arbitration, Mr.. Wheeler declared
that the United States has assumed the
leadership in arbitration and said:
with all this history, which IS GER
tainly honorable to the United States.
We are confronted with the extraordi-
nary spectacle Of a doubt as to whether
this country will really live up to its
record, its traditions. and its actual
agreement at The Hague and submit TO
the decision Of this permanent court OF
arbitration difference that has arisen
between Great Britain and the United
States in consequence of the Panama
Canal act"
Mr.. Wheeler said II would be better
a thousand times that the canal had
never been built than that the United
States should refuse to arbitrate
Attorney General Wickersham was one
Of the speakers last night and in his dis
cussiOn Of the Supreme Court OF the
United States as a prototype Of the pro-
posed court OF nations Mr.. Wickersham
took occasion 10 urge the permenancy OF
judges, saying:
Praises supreme Court.
NO one can imagine that u these
Judges had been chosen by popular cleo
ton for short terms they could possibly
have maintained the high stanard Of i'm
Partially and freedom from the infu-
ences Of momentary popular prejudice
which had characterized this great tn
bunal from its foundation"
The Supreme Court was praised for is
impartiality. and It was suggested by the
Attorney General that this court. with
similar courts OF other countries. would
make an ideal tribunal before which to
take international disputes II il were not
that the higher courts were constantly
engaged with the business of their par
ticular countries
Joseph Z. Davies, secretary Of the
Democratic National. Committee, also
paid tribute to the Supreme Court and
said that the idea OF a Court OF Ma
tons would be easy Of acceptance in trc
United States. where the love OF the
law is inherent"
The annual address ~ the president ~
the society. Gov Simeon Baldwin Of
Connecticut. was feature Of the ses-
sion Gov Baldwin reviewed the high
points in the worlds history which have
led to the general abandonment Of war
as a means Of settling disputes between
nations and declared that The Hague Tri-
bunaI has done much to bring the nations
to a better understanding of each other
Thomas Willing Balch, member Of the
Philadelphia bar. traced international
law from the time Of the Greek city
states and said it was to be supposed
that as great strides would be made in
the future.