AMERICAN ENTENTE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1024, 13 January 1911, Page 10

AMERICAN ENTENTE.

MR. BRYCE SWEEPS AWAY L\ST OBSTACLE!

It is understood'that ' the- Foreign Office is busily engaged in fc.V? preparation of the cases to ho submitted to arbitration under the. terms of tho Pecuniary. Claims '. Convention,, which ;was signed at Washington in August last. Thus these outstanding claims between Britain and tho United States, which have proved a serious' hindrance to a closer understanding with that country, and for years havo baffled the efforts-of our statesmen" and, diplomatists to arrive at'an' agreement; are (says tho "Daily News") at last in a t air way to bo. settled satisfactorily. Thus practically, the last of the'concrete differences between Britain and tho United States is : about to bo swept away. •'.' '■'■■• ; '

The agreement relates to claims dating back to before- 1812, and to.'claims that have.. arisen since 1853.' Those which arose between 1812 and'lßs3 wore settled in _ tho latter year, and the claims arising from tho Civil War were cleared-off in tho severities. ; By the 'present agreement Great Britain and the United States are- to refer to arbitration, whicli both l sides agree to includo in a schedule.to'bo'drawn up. Two arbitrators will'be appointed, who will clippie an -umpire;. The Arbitral Court will meet in Washington!' Tho Convention has not yet been published, as publication would he contrary'.' to-: tho rule that no 'treaty between tho United States and- any 'other can be made; ''public before- its submission to Congress. The number of claims to bo included'in tho schedule to tho Convention, is large, and'includes some of very long standing. Tho claim, for' instance, of tho. Cayuga Indians against the State of New York, which- had almost passed out of memory, is one of thescy and many others, in which the colonies arc interested, are included, in relation to which no approach even to an agreement has hitherto been found possible. Tho work of' preparation is, ...it-is—uiidorstood, proving very heavy, and special counsel have been engaged to. assist the permanent staff of the- Foreign Office. The interest attaching to tho result of the arbitration proceedings 'under this Convention is unusually keen, as the decision of tlio tribunal will involve tho definitive settlement of all outstanding claims between Great: Britaiii and tho United States, and' ihe '-removal of a constant source of friction between the two countries.

Though the least spectacular, this agreement is the crowning achievement of" Mr. Bryce's historic Ambassadorship. He has brought us nearer to an intimate understanding with the United States than wo havo been sinco the War of Independence',' at all events as near as diplomacy itself could bring us. All that remains is for public opinion in both countries to ratify tho cntenle.

"Well, how do you think you'll go on?" said the,, sergeant ~to a recruit in tffe police 'force, who had been told off for night duty. "Oh, I'll be all right!" lie said. "My mother's coming round with me for the first- night or two."

SOME WONDERS IN NATURE." fr MAN AS A FREE LANCE. Here are some extracts from an article by that wonderful student of nature,. Johii Burroughes. AVriting in the "Atlantic llonthly," he says:— "I lcok out of my window and see,the tide.in 1 Us endless ouost, racing up and racing down the river; every day, every night, the year through, for a thousand, for a million years it goes on, and no one is the wiser, yet the tides have played theft- part in the historv of tho globe. But. Nature's cradlo keens rocking after her child has left it. Only the land benefits from-the rain, and yet it rains upon the sea as upon land. Tho trees ripen their fruits and their nuts whether there is any creature to feed upon them, or any room to plant them or not. Nature s purpose (more anthropomorphism) embraces them all, she covers the full circle, she- docs not need to discriminate and husband her resources as we do. THE ANIMAL MIND. .' "The animals are so wise in their own way, such a success, without thought, yet so provocative of thought in us! -They aro rational without reason, and wise without understanding. They communicate without lariguaee, and. subsist without forethought. They weave and spin and drill and bore without tools, they traverse- zones without guide or compass, they are cunning without instruction, and prudent without precept. Animal behaviour is much more like the behavior.'of natural forces than is that of man: the animal goes alou; with Nature, borne along by her currents, while the mind of mail crosses and confronts Nature, thwarts her, uses Iter, or turns her back upon herself. During the vast eons while tho -earth was peopled bv the lower orders alone, Nature went her way.' But when this new animal, man, appeared, in duo time Nature began to go his way. to own him as master. Her steam and her currents did his work, her lightning carried his messages, her forcej became his servants.

- MAN'S MASTERY OVER NATURE. ."Man's mastery over Nature'has made jura- the victim of scores of diseases not known to the animals below .him. The artificial conditions with'which ho has surrounded himself, his. material comforts, his extra-natural aids and shields, have opened the way to the invasion ofMlis kingdom by hosts of bacterial enemies from whoso mischievous activities the lower orders are exempt. He has closed his door-against wind and cold, and thereby opened it to a ruthless arid invisible horde. Nature endows him with reason, and' then challenges it at everv turn. She puts a weapon into his hand that she has given to no other animal, and then confronts him with foes such as no other animal knows. He pays for his privileges. Ho has entered the lists as a free lance, and he must and does take his chances. For the privileges of mastering certain of Nature's' activities he pays in a host of natural enemies. For the privilege of fire, ho pavs in the' hazard of fire; for the privilege of st-?am, he pays' in the risk, of steam; for knowing how .to ■ overcome and use gravity, he pays in many a deadly surrender to gravity. He shakes out his sail to the wind at the risk of the wind's power and fury. So always does the new gift bring new danger and new responsibilities.

FROM EDEN TO PARADISE. "Man is endowed and blessed above all other creatures, and above - all other creatures is he exposed to defeat and death. But the problem is not.as.broad as it is long. The price paid does not always, or commonly, eat up all the pror fit. There has been a steady gain. Nature exacts her fee, but tho service is more than worth it. Otherwise man would not be here.' XTnless man had been driven out of Paradise, what would ho have come to ? The lower orders aro still in the Garden of- Eden; they know not good from,evilj but man's evolution has brought him out of tho state of innocence and dependence, and he is supreme in the world. ...