Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-08
SEEKING SQUARE DEAL
AS BASIS FOR TRADE
Delegates to Santiago Congress Will
Endeavor to Formulate Scheme for
Arbitration of Disputes.

ton agreement. according to the
United States Chamber of Commerce..
is that the plan rests entirely upon
the voluntary assent or the persons
engaged in the trade and upon the
influence of the two commercial or
CARNATIONS to enforce the awards
made. The parties seeking to arbi
trate are free to choose their own
arbitrators and the official arbitrators
on the lists maintained by the two
organize tions are called upon only In
the event that parties to contro-
versy fail themselves to name arbi-
traitors.
Being an arrangement between the
commercial organizations Of two diff
ferent countries, the plan makes 4
striking advance over virtually all
early forms of arbitration. The fact
that an arbitration takes place in the
United States, for instance. does not
mean that it is conducted entirely
under the auspices OF the Chamber OF
Commerce of the United States or OF
n committee designated by 1t. On
the contrary, the arbitration proceeds
under the auspices of a committee
Of the Argentine chamber as well.
This principle of joint representation
is carried on all through the plan.
The fact that the seller is in Buenos
States does not prevent each from
having assurance that his point of
view and his conditions will have at
tention.
Method q Simple One.
Arbitration under the present plan
is quite simple. All merchants are
urged to insert in their contracts
what is known as the STANDARD
clause" stipulating that all disputed
questions which may cause contro-
yersy relating to the contract shall
be submitted to arbitration under the
rules adopted. 1t is provided that
both parties to the contract shall hx
the place where the arbitration will
occur, but. should they fail to do so.
the arbitration will take place in the
country where the consignee resides.
Insertion of the standard clause" in
a contract binds the parties to desig
nate representatives to act for them.
With these conditions provided for in
advance, the way is left clear for the
speedy adjustment of any future diff
ficulties.
Provided the merchants fail to
agree arbitrators within thirty
days after the desire for arbitration
has been expressed, the committee OF
arbitration in the country where the
arbitration will occur is authorized 20
select three impartial persons, who
may proceed to adjust the dispute as
if they had been agreed upon before
hand by the parties to the dispute.
The advantage OF the plan to the
merchant who has dispute on hand
and no agreement to arbitrate is this:
He has at his disposal the good offices
of influential commercial organizations
which have entered into an agreement
to promote arbitration in every way.
He should place his case before the
commercial organization in his own
eountry--in the United States it would
be the National Chamber of Commerce
and enlist its assistance in reaching
an agreement or in arranging for arbi-
tration
Many Collateral Benefits.
Many benefits are derived from the
plan in cases which do not even reach
the stage Of formal arbitration, accord
ing to the National Chamber OF Com
merce. The existence of the agreement
with Argentina calls attention Of the
merchants in both countries to the
readiness OF the two commercial organi-
cations to use their good offices in re-
moving the misunderstanding upon
which most controversies, in the dnal
ANALYSIS, are based. During the war
business conditions were so upset, and
the ordinary channels OF trade between
the United States and Argentina so I'M
settled, that many difficulties and dis
putes arose When these controversies
were brought to the attention Of either
organization, it Is pointed out, an en-
deayor was made to arrive at the facts
impartially, and in most instances there
was found an honest error that existed
without the knowledge OF either party.
When this error was called to the at
tention of parties concerned, almost in
yariably prompt steps were taken to
rectify the error in a way that proved
acceptable
A much easier, simpler and more
practical way OF going about clearing
IN a understanding than hiring nu-
merous lawyers and paying fat fees to
find, after all, that no real difficulty
existed in the first place.