TREATY BETWEEN JAPAN AND AMERICA.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9145, 22 July 1908, Page 4

TREATY BETWEEN JAPAN AND AMERICA.

The general arbitration treaty-signed in Washington between the United States and Japan will continue in fore2 for live years. It provides that all disputes of a legal nature or in regard to the interpretation of treaties, shall be settled by arbitration, but questions of honour, independence, and vital interests are reserved for the arbitrament of war. It is similar to those already negotiated by the United States with "England, France, Norway, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland, but it is much more important because it should put a stop to all the talk of war between Japan ana America, which has been so insidiously and mysteriously prevalent of late, says the New York "Independent."' We believe this treaty, therefore, marks oie of the greatest steps forward in that movement, now fast becoming irresistible, for substituting law for war. We would not, however, overstate the importance of this treaty with Japan. As long as "honour" and "vital interests" are excepted from arbitration it will always be easy to find a pretext for going to war, for honour and vital interest cover as great a multitude of sins as of virtues. The time, we fear, has not yet come when it will be safe to reTer all disputes to arbitration, for a nation might lay claim to another's territory or independence, and this no spirited people would or should submit to the arbitrament of an outsider.