The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1928.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 February 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1928.

ARBITRATION AND WAR. Fon practical purposes the relations between Britain and the United States have been regulated during the present century by two arbitration treaties concluded in 1908 and 1914. I lie difficulty about international arbitration is that certain questions involving the safety, the existence, or the honour of a nation are not “justiciable,” that is, no nation can afford to submit them unreservedly to the judgment of a third party. The treaty of 1908, admitting this, confined itself solely to “justiciable” disputes. But the Bryan treaties of 1914, concluded by the United States with Britain and with France after the Great War had started, were a carefully planned attempt to get over these difficulties and to provide for the settlement' of disputs concerning even the national honour or the national safety. The es-cn-tinl and distinctive feature of these Bryan treaties, says an Auckland paper, was the construction of special machinery for the discussion of these delicate and dangerous problems. The treaty just concluded between France and the United States follows in this respect the treaty of 1914, and Sir Austen Chainlierlain has just told Parliament that the draft treaty now being negotiated between Britain and the United States is on the same lines. It provides that “any dispute when ordinary diplomatic proceedings shall have failed” shall il>e referred to the International Commission defined in the original Bryan treaty. This meant that each State concerned would appoint two delegates who would agree upon a fifth to preside at their meetings. and that this Commission yyonld.

hear complaints, call evidence, and endeavour to arrange an amicable compromise Rut two extremely important provisions were introduced into the Bryan treaties —full publicity was to be given to the proceedings ol' the Commission, and the States concerned were to bind themselves not to commit any act of hostility lor at least twelve mouths after proceedings were initiated. The purpose ot these stipulations, of course, is to allow lime and opportunity for public opinion to express itself and lo prevent wars arisi 1 out of hasty impulses and ill-con-sidered decisions. This principle, v, hicli Ims been applied in many couni. ic.s in the adjustment of industrial disputes, should be of great value in l ie settlement of international differences. and ils reiteration in the Frane '-American pact now under negotia--1: m. is sufficient prool that it has made a very favourable- impression on the Governments concerned. There is nothing to be gained by shutting our eves to the truth, and there are some questions 011 which no nation can suhm.it itself wholly to the jurisdiction of an external authority. That, as everyone should realise, is the real difficulty that the League of Nations lias to face. But even allowing for the exceptions still included- domestic affairs, questions involving the Monroe doctrine, questions touching upon the sphere of the League of Nations—these treaties, which are an improvement iti detail on the Bryan treaties of 1914, mark the furthest advance vet made toward the practical solution of the great problem of world peace.