ARBITRATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7450, 26 May 1911, Page 5

ARBITRATION

ANGLO-AMERICAN TREATY SIFTING INTERNATIONAL DIFFERENCES. By Telegraph—Prctw Association —Copyright, LONDON, May 24. Til© overseas Premiers ivere the guests of the Pilgrims’ Club at a "banquet held in tho Savoy Hotel. FieldMarshal Lord Roberta presided. Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, dwelt in enthusiastic "tones on tho projected AngloAmerican arbitration treaty, and said tho success of such a treaty must bo dependent on Iho absence of any possibility of conflict between tho national policies of the two parties thereto. This xmdition being assured, there must, in the second place, bo between tho two Governments a confidence in each other's reasonableness and goodwill. “ The history of the last few years,’ continued Sir Edward, “shows that reasonableness and goodwill have been characteristic of all the negtiations between us. If it is true that the proposed treaty will merely seal the satisfactory state of things already existing, let us .seal it. If not, we will he like tho unprofitable talent that was wrapped in a napkin.” There would be people in other countries asking whether they, too, should not do as Britain and America proposed doing. This would lead to the sifting and weighing of tho causes of differences between the nations, and with progressively favourable results, t Sir Edward Grey added: /“Wo will rejoice if Mr Taft's initiative shduld lead, directly or indirectly, to beneficia 1 consequences to others.” Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Sir Joseph Ward responded, on behalf of the Premiers, to the toast of “Our Guests.”