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JANUARY 30, 1903. -
conference" which was suggested by the Gorman
government. The Tribune's correspondent Bays. ;
"The main purpose will be the fonnatjpn of an
International seismological association. With rei
erence thereto the question' has heen raised
whether it would not be advisable to have the
international association of academies, which was
formed recently, work out a common plan for in
ternational co-operation in seismological observa
tions. The opinion is expressed that if this were
done this international earthquake conference
might be dispensed with, especially as there are
already too many scientific conferences of ail
sorts. This opposition comes principally from Eng
land, but it Is to be presumed that a large num--ber
of expert scientists will advocate the necessity
of an international conference."
8. a?
EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENTS TO AMERI
can newspapers report that the physical
condition of Prime Minister Balfour is the sub
ject of uneasiness to his physicians and friends.
It is reported that while strong influences are be
'ing brought to bear to persuade Balfour to retain
thcf- premiership his physical condition seems to ,
make it certain that he will retire. It has been
Jcnown for a' long time that Joseph Chamberlain
has his eyes on the premiership and it is general- ,
ly believed that in the event of Balfour's retire
ment, the present colonial secretary will succeed
him.
WHEN'IT WAS PROPOSED THAT TRESI
dent Roosevelt should act as the arbitrator
in the dispute between Venezuela and the Burop
eon powers, it was plain that American states
men, without regard to political prejudice, were
not in favor of the president undertaking the task.
The reaspn for this is explained by a writer in the
Chicago Tribune who points out that "disagree
able experience"-has fallen to the share of nearly
every reigning sovereign or chief executive of a
republic who has accepted the role of umpire in
international quarrels during the last fifty years.
It seems strange, and yet is appears to be true,
that in no case have awards made by these arbi
trators given satisfaction and, as pointed out by
the. Tribune writer, the "decisions rendered by
lt specially, constituted arbitration, give rise-'tothe
least criticism artd ill-Will on the part of -he
powers concerned."
J? &
AN INTERESTING RESUME OF THIS FORM
of arbitration is presented by the writer in
the Tribune. Many years ago King William of
Holland acted as arbitrator in a dispute between
the United States and Great Britain respecting
the northeast boundary line. King William did
not accept either the American or the English
contention, but rendered a decision in favor of a
lino of his own devising which was not only un
acceptable to both countries, but absolutely im
possible geographically as well as politically. The
difference was subsequently adjusted by the Web-ster-Ashburton
treaty. King Oscar of Sweden
has served as an arbitrator in many disputes be
tween nations. He acted in the differences arising
between Germany, the United States and Gr&it
Britain in connection with Samoa, bis decision
being in favor of Germany; and although King
Oscar stands very high in the world's estimation,
his decision was met with bitter criticism ih Eng
land and in the Uinted States. It is true, how
ever, that King Oscar's decision in this particular
case met with commendation by many Impartial
men in he United States and in England.
a? a?
THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE BETWEEN
Great Britain and Brazil is to be passed
upon by King Victor Emmanuel of Italy Re
cently King Edward, served as arbitrator in a
boundary dispute between Chile and. Peru. In
1872 old Emperor William, to whom the Tri
bune writer refers as "a fine soldier and chiv
alrous gentlemen, but who understood nothing
whatever about international law," was called
upon to determine the San Juan boundary ques
tion between the United States and Great Britain.
His decision met with a storm of criticism in
England. The dispute between France and Hol
land relating to the subject of the boundary, of
their colonial possessions in South America was
passed upon by the late emperor of Russia. The
late king of the Belgians acted as arbitrator in a
contention between the United States and Chile
in connection with the seizure of specie on. board
the United States brig Macedonian by the Chil
eon fleet The late king of Spain, and after his
death his widow, the queen regent, acted as arbi
trators, in the boundary conflicts between Colom-
The Commoner.
'J ..r - J
bla and Venezuela and between Peru and Ecuador.
THE DISPUTE BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN
-and Portugal relating to the various terri
tories and islands in Delagoa bay, was passed
upon by Marshal MacMahon. His decision was in
favor of Portugal and the Tribuno writer says
that it was "an award so manifestly unfair in
favor of Portugal, and so obviously prompted by
Gallic prejudices against Great Britain, that it re
mains to this day as one of the most striking
examples of bias and undue influence in the his
tory of international arbitration."
THE HESITANCY ON THE PART, OF THE
British ministers to definitely commit them
selves to the principle of arbitration contained in
the prograni of the peace conference at The Hague
is attributed by the Tribune writer to the recollec
tion of the Delagoa bay award, Which award it is
said has always rankled in the bosom of the
English people in consequence of the unfairness
of the verdict This writer says that this award
made by Marshal MadMahon "serves as an illus
tration of my argument against the solection of
chiefs -of state as arbitrators, that although the
interests' involved in the Delagoa controversy
were immeasurably inferior in importance to tho
Alabama award, yet the latter, while it consti
tuted a severe blow to John Bull's pocket and to
John Bull's pride, was accepted in silence and
without grumbling, just because it had been giv
en, not by any one arbitrator, but by an interna
tional tribunal assembled for the purpose at
Geneva." ..
PERHAPS THE MOST INTERESTING EPI
sode in the record of 'international arbitra
tion presented by tho Tribune writer relates to the
appeal madeby the late Prince Bismarck to Leo
XIII. to act as arbitrator in a dispute between
Germany and Spain with regard. to the Caroline
islands. Concerning this episode, this' writer says:
"It was a' clever political move on the part of
the great chancellor. Fpr'he could not have chosen
an arbitrator more pleasing to the Spaniards, nor
whose decision was likely to be received with''
more respect at Madrid, while the conipliment
thus paid to the supreme head of the Roman Cath
,olic church contributed in no small measure to es
tablish the friendliest rqlat;iond between the Gor
man government and the holy see, which had
been at war with due another ever since the in
auguration of the kulturkampf, -during the reign
of Pius IX. It is doubtful whether there is any
event during his long and remarkable pontificate
to which Leo XIII. looks back with so much sat
isfaction as to this arbitration of tho difficulties
between Germany and Spain, artd his award 13
well nigh unique in that it was received with
equal good will by both parties to the contro
versy and its fairness never questioned."
AN INTERESTING FACT IS POINTED OUT
by this same authority when he says that
since the constitution' of The Hague tribunal, the
.k powers not only of Europe, but also qi South
America have shown a marked disposition to ig
nore the regularly constituted arbitration tribunal
and have sought to refer disputes to crowned
heads, or to presidents of republics. The Tribune
writer says that the United States has done well
to discountenance this tendency "for as shown
above, rulers as umpires cannot help bringing the
entire principle of international arbitration into
disrepute by the suspicion to which they are ex
posed of partiality, whereas the tribunal of The
Hague is entirely exempt from anything of tho
kind by reason of its constitution, and everything
that can tend to increase its prestige and im
portance is calculated to promote the cause of
the peace of tho world."
ar a
ACCORDING TO THE CHERRY CREEK
correspondent of the New York Tribune the
descendants of John Alden have become thor
oughly aroused. John Alden, it will bo remem
bered, was the hero of "The Courtship of Miles
Standish." Louis McKinstry, who happens to be
the secretary of the speaker of tho New York
assembly, delivered a speech at a banquet given at
Fredonia in honor of forefathers' day. In that
speech "Mr. McKinstry said that John Alden was
"nothing but a 'longshore carpenter." In the vi
cinity of Cherry Creek thero are many descendants
of revolutionary settlers and the Tribune corre
spondent says: "These scions of history are "nat
urally proud of their aristocratic ancestry and
take ill any slighting reference to the honor or
roputation of their forefathers." Two families in
that vicinity claim that in their veins flows the
blood of John Alden, "jthe stripling of Plymouth
and the friend of Captain Miles Standlsh." These
have called upon others of the Alden descendants
throughout tho Empire State to rush to arras for
the protection of tho'precious memory of their
ancestor.
IN THIS DAY THAT A MAN HAD BEEN
nothing but a 'longshore carpenter is not
thought to bo particularly discreditable and, in
deed, Mr. McKinstry's friends say that ho meant
no reflection. He presented as a mero interesting
historical discovery that John Alden was in real
ity not such a remarkable character as ho had
been mado out to be. According to McKinstry,
the Puritan Alden was a 'longshoreman whom the
Pilgrims happened to pick up on tho wharf just
before te" Mayflower sailed. The regular ship's
carpenter had fallen sick and could not sail and
the Pilgrims felt that such ,a member of tho
crew was necessary and gladly accepted Aldeh's
proffer and assistance. McKinstry said that Aid
en's modern reputation was purely the result of
Longfellow's poem and hinted that nobody mado
any particular claim for having him for an an
cestor before the poem achieved such a wide
success.
THE RESULT OF MR. McKINSTRY'S STATE
ment is admitted by the Tribune correspon
dent to be "indescribable." According to this au
thority, "Silence followed their utterance and a
cold chill fell on the warm atmosphere of good
fellowship especially in tho vicinity of the two
families from Fredonia. Tho dinner immediately
broke up, and it is said that soveral persons with
forefathers who had prepared careful addresses
were not called upon to deliver them. Since then
tho main topic of conversation has been the
words which fell from the iconoclastic lips of Mr.
McKinstry. It is whispered that he is not alono
in his position, but that several prominent famil
ies who have never laid claims to anjMdnr. TTuG
of ancestors have given him Jto .mrtferstand that
they put confidence in Jhlc" historical accuracy.
The Alden (Jtcscnniants, however, are thoroughly
arpjisjod, &nd declare that any aspersions cast
'"'upon the character of John are absurd and that
they can produce, and intend to put forward, in
dubitable proof of the purity and nobility of his
family connections."
THE DISCOVERY IN SYRIA OF ONE OF THE
oldest Hebrew manuscript' Bibles is reported
to tho London Mail by its Cairo correspondent
This Bible consists of the five books of the Pen
tateuch, written in Samaritan characters on ga
zelle parchment in"tho year 11G of the Moslom era.
It shows important dltfe1ices from the existing
text
THE RUSSIAN MINISTER OF INTERIOR HAS
found it necessary to undo somo of the work
of his predecessor. The former premier banished
without trial G1,000 persons and many of these
were. professional men and scientists. Tho pres
ent minister has discovered that Russia needs
the services of these men and he is engaged in a
systematic effort to persuade them to return.
THE MOST POWERFUL GUN EVER BUILT
in the United States was successfully tested
at Sandy Hook January 16. This gun cost $110,
000. At the test threb shots were fired and the
New York correspondent of the Chicago Record
Herald says that these shots "served to fulfill tho
wonderful accuracy and mathematical calculation
of the army experts who had charge of the con
struction of the gun." This correspondent ex
plains: "The first charge was 550 pounds of
smokeless powder, and the velocity of the 2,400
pound projectile , when lt left the muzzle was 2,
003 feet a second. The pressure of the powder
in exploding was 25,000 pounds to the square inch.
Tho full charge of G40 pounds of powder was used
for the second shot, and the velocity was 2.300
feet a second, or six feet more than calculated.
The pressure was 38,000 pounds to tho square
inch. The elevation of tho gun's muzzle for the
first and second shots was iy2 degrees and tho
ranges were 3,000 and 3,500 yards. For the final
shot the muzzle was elevated to 4 degrees, in
creasing the range to 7,000 yards. The charge was
640 pounds of smokeless powder, and the pressure
was 38,500 pounds to the square inch. All tho
shots ricochetted two or three times on the water,
sending up great fountains of sprays."
a? &
THE MANAGERS OF THE GORGEOUS SPEC
tacle tnat recently took place at Delhi, In
dia, are just now auditing the accounts relating to
tho cost of that magnificent affair. Cablegrams
from London say that when the bills 'are 'all paid
tho expenses will have reached the sum of $10y
000,000.
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