Evening star., 1919-03-31
In Interest Of Harmony.

One night Col. House told the Amer
4can correspondents that the compul-
sory arbitration feature had been
dropped from the covenant in the in
terest of agreement and harmony. He
said he regretted this very much, be-
cause he believed compulsory arbitra-
tion was essential to permanent
peace. But he added that start must
be made somehow and that according
as faith in the league grew public
opinion would sanction changes from
time to time and that eventually COM
puisory arbitration would prevail.
Why" asked some of the corre-
spondents Of Col. House, was the
compulsory arbitration clause elm
fnated?''
because other delegations would
not agree to it, he answered, and
then added-"and. of course. we
Sena-e would accept compulsory arbi-
tratfon."
what Col House probably had in
mind was the attitude of the republi-
end of the Taft administration in 1919.
when arbitration treaties with Great
Britain and France failed of ratifica-
ton
The Senate insisted on a special
clause in the treaty requiring that be-
fore any questions were submitted
the text of the submission agreement
should be approved by the Senate as
a special agreement This was re-
garded as limitation or exception to
the generality of the arbitration fea-
ture itself. and it was perhaps not
deemed advisable to offer the treaty
in modified form to the governments
OF Great Britain and France.
In any event. if the republican party
has refused to date to sanction COM
pulsory arbitration with such big
powers as Great Britain and France.
would 1t be ready to go as far as
that with all members of the league,
including Central and South Ameri-
can countries?
Colombia has been clamorfne for
ten years for an arbitration of her dis
pute over the partition of Panama. q
question whether the United States
violated the treaty of 1S48 in which
a guarantee of territorial integrity
given. but the United States has re-
FUSED to submit the question to ar
bitration. and the Senate has never
ratified the treaties proposed. first by
president Taft and then by President
wilson, to settle the controversy.
In the light of this history, has the
Senate changed sufficiently to accept
clause compelling arbitration OF
Justlilable questions, such as fntey-
Dretation of treaties? Messrs Taft
Root, Knox, Wilson and now the
American peace mission. have advo.
teN'A 'odi sc Dul WOulO lnS
Senate ratify covenant with such a
far-reaching clause in it? Col House
thought not.
Some International lawyers here
think, on the other hand. that ma
5ority of the Senate, under the leader
ship of Mr. Knox and MI Lodge
would favor such a step today, but
are not sure whether a two thirds vote
could be secured. They even predict
that the hard and fast restrictions on
The power of the United States might
become SO much d matter of contro-
~ersy if compulsory arbitration were
included in the covenant, as to imperi]
the chances of its being ratified.
Lord Robert CeciI's View.
Lord Robert Cecil said on more than
one occasion that the trouble with
much Of the opposition to the league
of-natlons plan was that people
thought perfect instrument could be
drawn IN PariS at this time. He ar
Sued that II was essential now to nut
into an international league all those
things upon which agreement could
be obtained among all members and
Ieave TO the future such revision as
the organized public opinion of the
world would demand.
Mr.. Root himself evidently recog-
ntzes that the covenant will undsrgo
changes from year to year, and his
01ACHuiHcHt HudhI1S special provision
for a general conference of members
to meet not less than Eve years or
more than ten years" after the treaty
IS signed Is therefore especially sig
nidcant
On the whole Mr.. Roots letter will
be regarded abroad as support for the
american peace delegation. particu-
larry because many of his amend
1uents have been suggested by the
american commissioners before
It is interesting to recall in this
connection that Col. House urged the
appointment of Mr.. Root to the Amer
lean peace mission, and II the position
of the republicans finally is that tust
announced by Elihu Root it will be
convincing proof of the claim of many
of President Wilson's best friends that
the appointment of the distinguished
former Secretary Of State would have
been wise, both from a national and
international point of view.
Copyright. 1913. by the N. Y. Evening Post