The Dominion. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1914. ARBITRATION AND ITS LIMITS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2260, 21 September 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1914. ARBITRATION AND ITS LIMITS

' ..♦ —: :. •' In the midst: of the great war now raging in Europe the recent- announcement that the British and French Ambassadors have signed the Anglo-American and Franco-Ameri-can Peace Commission Treaties >reads like amessage from another world.'. It seems strange and unreal to Be talking about peace and arbitration at a. time of unexampled strife such as the present, though it is very probable that after the war the movement in favour of settling international disputes by appeal to some impartial tribunal will receive a powerful impetus. Following a, feeling of _ exhaustion experienced by tho nations of Europe as the result of "tho Napoleonic wars, a good deal of attention , was given to the question _ of international arbitration, men like ■ Victor Hugo, John Bright, and Kichard Cobden taking a prominent part' in the movement. Since those days much has been done to give effect to their aims and ideas in this matter. The only people who desired to see Europe set ablaze on the present occasion were the Kaiser and the German War Party, and the probability is that when peaoe is again restored, something will be done to make it less easy for any monarch or Government to wantonly plunge Europe into another conflict. War may not be a wholly and utterly bad thing; it has its redeeming features. But it also has a terribly dark side. The'devastation of Belgium is. an impressive proof of this, and it is to be hoped that the struggle now going on will be followed by a long period of unbroken peace and prosperity. It may be too much to expect that war will be entirely abolished, but the establishment of peace commissions like those which the United States has succeeded in arranging with France and Britain should certainly have a powerful influence in restricting the resort to force for the settlement of differences between nations. The majority of people probably are _ not aware of the great progress which has already been made in the direction of arbitration. From the year 1822 to 1900 treaties of this character were .enacted to tho number of 125, and during the following ten years no fewer than 180 such agreements came into operation. The number of arbitration awards made during the nineteenth century was 212, and though some of them dealt with very serious matters every ono of them was accepted and acted upon. There is still room for tho extension of the scope _ of international arbitration, and it is not too much to expect that before tho twentieth century is over tho appeal to right and reason will have still more largely superseded brute force in settling'the disputes of nation with nation. The present war has, however, emphasised the fact that unless human nature undergoes a very rovolution- . n.ry change, every great nation must v always bo prepared for an appeal, to

force. It might have been possible for some international tribunal to have decide'd whether the plot which resulted in the assassination of the heir to the Austrian Throne was, or was not, hatched in Servia. Some such tribunal might also have apportioned the blame and the punishment. But no Power dare run the risk of entrusting entirely to any outside tribunal the settlement of matters affecting its very existence. Austria having once decided to make war on Servia, it was quito impossible for Russia to allow an Arbitration Court to tell her what action she should take. When absolutely vital interests arc at stake every nation must take the full responsibility of choosing its own line of action. When the Germans invaded France and Belgium it at once became necessary for Britain to consider what course her national honour, as well as her obligations to her friends, made it necessary for her to adopt, and her consequent action could only be decided by her own Government;. As long as it is possible for an ag-. gressive nation to deliberately violate the rights of other countries, the possibility of an appeal to the sword must be allowed for. All this goes to show'that though international arbitration is an excellent thing, yet it has its' limitations. Such matters.as boundary disputes, fishing rights, and pecuniary losses /caused by the action of other States, come within its'scope; and many such disputes have already been settled in this way. Great Britain has set a good example in this respect. In August, 1901, a memorable compact was made between Britain and France by which an amicable agreement was arrived at regarding quite [ a number of long-standing troubles ! respecting Morocco, Newfoundland, Egypt, and other matters. Similar compacts were made by-other Powers and the movement is still going on. But in spite of all these tokens of goodwill and a widespread desire for the maintenance of peace, the armaments of the Great Powers have steadily increased. France and Russia recently found it ■ necessary _ to add to the strength of their armies, and Germany has made large additions to her fighting power lioth on land and sea. Britain of course, compelled to maintain what her experts considered a safcCmargin of naval supremacy, notwithstand : ing the protests of Little Englanders and other peace advocates, who declared that a war with Germany was an extremely remote contingency. Recent happenings should prove an impressive warning" to those wellmeaning . people who do not seem to realise that in, view of the_ enormous interests the British Empire has at stake, responsible statesmen dare not take any unnecessary risks.