Evening star., 1920-12-12
RY 9. GOULD LINCOLN.

m g. GOULD LINCOLN. +.
YHEN President Wilson re,
NAJ Gently accepted the invita-
I. WV tion Of the league sof ma
tiohs to mediate betweeh
Armehia and the Turkish nationalists
he put the United states once more
on record as a factor in bringing
about peace between nations at war,
or involved in controversies threat
enins war. The diplomatic history OF
this country affords not, few in
stances where the United States.
through it's chief executive, has inter-
vened in the interests of peace be-
tween other nations. While President
Wilson has made 1t clear in accepting
the invitation to act as mediator that
he was without authority to throw the
weight Of American arms into en-
forcement Of the terms that might be
settled upon. nevertheless it is impos-
sible for him to disassociate himself
from the high Office which he holds In
undertaking to act as mediator. 1t
was not as an individual that the
league sought his aid in mediation,
but as the head Of a great nation,
whose word would have weight.
Mediation, to be exact, is an act Of
Intervention, and in the case Of strife
between two nations the Intervention
of third. In that 1t is more than
arbitration. though mediation may lead
to arbitration. But the right of a
third nation to intervene and to off&
its good Offices to settle strife or dis
putes between two nations has long
been recognized In International law.
When mediation is mentioned in this
country. the mind Immediately reverts
to Theodore Roosevelt and Grover
Cleveland. The action of President
Roosevelt in intervening in the Russian
Japanese war to offer his good offices to
bring about peace between those ma
tons was closely akin to mediation. II
not the very act itself. President Cleve-
land goes down in history as the media
tor between Great Britain or rather
British Guiana and -v4nezcela.
Venezuelan Boundary Dispute.
Thescnntrovefsy between Great Brit
an and venezuela. was over the boundary
line between British Guiana and vene-
zuela. ss For nearly half century this
controversy had been unsettled. The
situation was becoming more and more
serious The Unlteq States government
had for many years urged arbitration
Of the question involved. A large ter
ritory between the Eesequibe and
Orinoco rivers was In ssilspnte. The.
British Eoyefnnspts From time to time
gathered I'M another slice OF this terri,
tory which was claimed By yenezuela.
The latter country had been unable to
get Great Britain to agree to any divid-
ing line between its colony and yene-
sueia. Nor would Great Britain accept
arbitration urged by Venezuela and the
United States. Finally. Venezuela
broke or diplomatic relations with her
powerful opponent
Great Britain had occupied q point on
the Orinoce river. that allowed her to
dominate the vast country drained by
that river, PresfdeAt Cleveland realized
that the Monroe doctrine was threat.
ened. under which the United States de-
-clines to permit aggression by foreign
nations In the western hemisphere. In
his annual message to Congress An 1884
he directed attention to the unsatisfac-
tory situation that existed. He an
nounced his intention Of again seeking
to bring about arbitration Of the dis
pute between the two nations. Con-
gress. promptly adopted a resolution
backing him up. Under instructions
from President Cleveland. Secretary
Olney Of the State Department and
United States. Ambassador Bayard un-
dertook to insist that Great Britaix