Evening star., 1916-08-20

y
Commissioners Creel and Buchanan
also made addresses, in which they re-
flected the hope of the United States
and of Mexico that the Inauguration OF
the court would give assurance of con-
tinued peace.
The history of the court after its in
auguration was somewhat checkered.
Andrew Carnegie gave 100000 for the
erection of a suitable building, and a
beautiful structure was erected. but
the earthquake of 1910, which was SO
destructive to Cartago, left the peace
palace in ruins.
The court itself has had very few
cases 10 pass on, and in some of these
its jurisdiction has been ignored by
one or the other of the countries. Yet.
in the main. it's existence has been
more than justified, and Mr.. Buchanan
judgment that its usefulness might be
measured by the small number of cases
which would be brought before IT has
been vindicated.
This. in brief, is the history of the
Central American court o. justice UP
to midsummer of 1916. 1t was then
that the news reached the United
States that the court was considering
the complaint OF Costa Rica against
Nicaragua, in connection with the canal
treaty, although the United States was
not made a party to the action.
Costa Rica's grievance grows out OF
Nicaraguas sale of canal rights to the
United States. In substance. its claim
has been that Nicaragua. under an old
treaty and under an award made by
President Cleveland is bound not to
make any grants for canal purposes
without first asking the opinion OF
Costa Rica, as provided in the boundary
treaty between the two countries.
bpTDrn the trf-
bunal the eighth anniversary Of the
establishment of the court was ceie-
brated and in accordance with the
principle of rotation DIR. Bocanegra OF
Guatemala was lchosen president and
Dr. Gutierrez Navas of Nicaragua vice
TA United States, through the State
Department has followed the case with
interest, but not with anxiety. The
peace court was created for the set
tlement of issues arising between the
Central American countries, and Its
jurisdiction over treaties entered INTO
between one Central American country
and the United States could not for
moment be accepted.
The treaty with Nicaragua having
been ratified, the United States, in a
matter-of-fact way, has gone ahead
carrying out its provisions. Its IN
terest in keeping the Central American
countries from going to war with one
another is even greater than in 1907,
when the treaty among them was for
mulated. because there is no longer the
example and the influence of a stable
Mexico to exercise a moral restraint
on her neighbors.
In the course of time, the rights
which Costa Rica and Salvador claimed
in the canal right of way, and in
Fonseca bay are certain to receive con-
sideration by the United States, and to
be dealt with justly.
Nicaragua, on her part, goes on her
way, and, so far as the case in ques-
tion is concerned, officially does not
know that the court of justice has
taken jurisdiction over the treaty with
the United States. The political groups
there are more interested in the presi-
DENTAL election, which takes place in
October. They have split up badly
among themselves. and it would be
hard for any of them to define what the
issue is except that it is not anything
that ,ie e.rbs a, ccnri i,ay seek TO do
81 rt~f IL !, sha canal treaty.