NATIONAL ARBITRATION

Southland Times, Issue 16689, 18 March 1911, Page 5

NATIONAL ARBITRATION

MR TAFT'S SUGGESTION ME BALFOUR SYMPATHETIC^ (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright)* LONDON, March 17. Received March 17, 11.30 p.m. During the debate on the navy estimates, Mr Balfour referred to Mr Taft’s suggestion as to extending existing treaties for arbitration In order to include points of national honour equally with those of national interests. The suggestion, he said, deserved careful consideration; and, whether or not it was realisable generally, there was no reason why the kindred communities of Britain and the United States should not enter into such an arrangement. Mr Balfour went on to recall Lord Salisbury’s and Pauncefote’s efforts to frame a treaty of arbitration with tho United States, Lord Salisbury and hia successors were fortunate enoughto make an immense number of treaties of arbitration but they failed with. America, where the Senate declined suggestions approved by the President, and the Cabinet. He hoped Mr Taft's words represented, besides Mr Taft’a and the Government’s feeling, the general feeling in the United States that fop both countries concerned peace was tha greatest interest and that the time wa* 1 ripe for a treaty preventing the possibility of anything so horrible as wap between them. If the Government found a way to such an arrangement they would find no heartier friends than the* Unionists. It would be the consummation of the policy wherefor they had constantly striven; but even such a. treaty could hardly affect the navy’*, future: for we were not building ship* against America, and he was not aware of any European power that would b«. prepared to enter into Mr Taft’s schema

A PROBABLE PROPOSAL. WASHINGTON, March 18. President Taft will probably submill to the December meeting of Congress a proposal for an unlimited arbitrationtreaty between Britain and the United States. An informal exchange of view® between the Governments Is proceeding. Divergent opinions are expressed regarding the passage in Sir E. Grey’s speech, which suggested that Mr Taft’s proposal for an arbitration treaty, would probably lead to a further agreement for mutual help in case one of thef signatories had a quarrel with a third party who refused to submit the'issue to arbitration. 1 The Washington correspondent of the, “Times” declares that Sir E. Grey’* utterance was academic and a pious wish, j ■ Had it been less obviously so, it would' have prejudiced the trans-Atlantic pros-, pects of Mr Taft’s original proposal. As the matter stands, the speech haa| tended to make the situation brighter. LONDON, March 16. Lord Reay, interviewed, said that as arbitration agreement between Britain, and the United States would be a great advance In the interests of the world’* peace, and would lead to an important extension of the arbitration of International disputes. He favours Sir pdward Grey’s suggestions. -j A LABOUR PROTEST. LONDON, March 1«. ■ The Labour party has issued a man!-' festo protesting against the huge naval estimates, which, it considers, are m menace to international peace. LORD BERESPORD FOB PEACE. LONDON, March 16. Lord Charles Beresford, Interviewed said that the time had arrived when English-speaking countries should combine to prevent war, as peace was abso—., lutely essential to us. j A CHURCH COMMENT. LONDON, March 16. The Revs. Robert Horton, Silvester Horne, and J. H. Shakespeare, and; other Free Church leaders, in a letter to the “Times,” state that they and, thousands whom they represent are* ready to follow Sir Edward Grey, Man-, kind was becoming sick and impatient* of the ineptitude which drove the country into great national waste of Its resources upon war and armaments. They, assert that an outbreak of war Is threat- , ened from the mere tension and in- i tolerable strain. i