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Show .l t 09mm \ W :4 35 taken toward substituting judicial procedure for appeal to arms. The Jay Treaty of 17r)_t contained provisions for adjusting by arbitration three questions which threatened to involve us in war with tireat l'rritain. and under it three separate boards of arbitration were created. U11" ‘rrrary or 17315 with Spain like- wise contained a provision for arbitration. by the 'l'reiity of t:l.ent. in 1314. three boards of arbitration were created. .‘yfter the overthrow of Napoleon a general reaction be " n in all civilized countries 2‘ rinst barbarous methods of settling disputes. l'eace ideas were fostered and promoted in every way, pt e societies and peace congresses constantly stirred the con~ science of the world. The Tr‘aty of 1849. which concluded peace between the L'nit =rl States and Meme r. provided that the two nations would in ftrture adjust their dis; ‘eenients by pacific negotiations atrd by arbitration, In 1851 the Committee on Foreign Relations reported to the lr'rl States State a resolution declaring that it was desirable ~ecrzre in treaties a provision for arbitration. Similar reso- .or‘.s were introduced in Congress in 1854. 1872, 1074 and 1878. The treaty which most profoundly influenced the ideas of the vorld was that of \Vasltiiigton in 1871, which provided for four arbitrations. In 186:. during the preliminary negotiations. Adams assured Lord Russell that there was "no fair and .hle form of conventionil arbitrarnent" to which America would not be willing to submit. Lord Russell in the beginning said that England would be disgraced forever if a foreign gor- ‘nent were left to arbitrate whether an English Secretary of re had been diligent or negligent in the discharge of his duties. 'I he liriglish Chief Justice ,, d that the whole thing was dead. Mr. .\d:tms arose again to a great height and saved the treaty by getting his colleagues to mid-cc an extrajudicial but effective declaration that certain claims ought to be excluded from consid- eration. lle said: "I should be assuming a great responsibility, but l should do so not as an arbitrator representing my country, bttt as representing all nation<." These long. i .. rful but successful negotiations, during which iy irritating truestions arose. which resulted in the end in . great :rt‘ltiu‘etttetti. fully attest the fixed purpose of both nations to rise every elIort to avoid a corrilict of arms. john K101" ley says: "The Tr ‘aty of "lashington and the Geneva Arbitra- tion stand out as the most notable Victory in the nineteenth ceri- tury of the noble art of preventive diplomac _'\ ‘ and the most signal exhibition in their history of selfscomrnanr l in two of the three chief democratic powers of the w tern world." The arbitration held in l‘aris in 1393. in the Fur Seal case, and the Arbitral Tribunal, which decided the Ala; *an boundary dispute, were next in importance. ;\ variety of questions such as those involving disputed boundaries, injuries to public and private property and persons. disputed sovereignty over islands. seizure of ships, and interferences with fisheries and commerce, have been peaceably atrd economically adjusted, which in former times would probably have led to war. Although it has been often said that questions of national honor cannot be submitted to arbitration. experience has shown that the term "national honor" is variable. and in some degree shadowy, and that many questions which under a firmer code would have been catalogued under "national honor" have been submitted and settled in this w'y even though at the outset. as was said by Lord Russell in regard to the Alabama claims, such a submission was thought to be incompatible with national dignity. liy far the most notable event in the history of the world bearing upon international peace was the lfirst Hague Confer- ence. Upon the suggestion of Russia, the assent of the govern~ rnents interested having been secured, Tler Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands invited all governments having regular diplonratie representation at St. l'etersburg, as well as liuxembure. Montenegro, and Siam, to hold the conference at The Hague on May 18. rigor]. The South African Republic. the Holy See and the r ‘prrblics of Central and South America were omitted, Not- withstanding the omission of the Holy See. the, hope. in a letter of May go to the Queen of the Netherlands. gave a suranee of his warm sympathy, The nations participating were (ierrtrany. United States of America, Allsll'lihllllttgill‘y, lielgiltrtt, (Trina, Denmark, Spain, France, (ireat Ilritain and Ireland. (it"ece. Italy. Japan, Luxerns burg. Mexico, Montenegro. Netherlands, l'et‘sia, l'ortrrg‘zrl, lion» mar , ly'trrsizr. Seryia, Siam, Sweden and Norway, Frvitxerlarrd. |
