Cremer's Mission

Washington, Peb. 11. - The recent visit to Washington of Mr. Cremer, the British membcr oí' purliamuuc who was charged with the presentación to our government I of a memorial signed by about 350 of his colleagues in parlinment, urging tho negotiation of un arbitration treacy with i Great Britain, has resulted in stimulating interest iii the project which had rather lagged since the iutroduction of the Allison resolution somo years ago. In conI gress tho proposition has taken tangible '■ shape in a radical joint resolution subi initted by Senator Sherman and referred i to tlie committee on foreign relaciona auj thorizing the president to move in tho ! ! matter. While this resolution has not been entirely aoceptable to tho advocates i of tho écheme, it has served its purpose of forming the basis of consiiieratioii by the committee. Grave Comequenees to tlie United States. But, meanwhile, negotifttiona have been opened, as yat only preliminary in nature, betweeu our government and the British ambassador that wlll, it is said, if they result in the consummation of a treaty. be fraught with the gravest consequeneest so far as the United States is concerned. In it, present shape tho proposition is extremely broad, though it may be narrowed as the negotiations progress, for it contemplates nothing less than a great general treaty to which the United States and all of the great European powers shall be partios, by the terms of which any matter in dispute between any of the signatory powers. whicíi cannot be adjusted by the ordinary ods of diplomacy, sliall be submitted to arbitration. There is nothing substantially new in this propositioa, whioh has been üiscussed for many yeurs in variou.s shapes, but „the fact that negotiations have aotually begnn and it is at last really within tho reach of possibility hfis had the effect to draw tho attention of oertain senators who must pass upon any such treaty to grave conseq uences that might be expccted to.follow ita rutiflcation. DaDger ro the Monroe Doctrine. These senators say that the "Monroo doctrine upon which our predominance in this hemisphere depends would be speedily dismissed as of no torce in an arbitration." Each of the signatory powers would be represented upon the arbitration commission, and as the European powers would be largely in the majority there could be but one result should any question be submitted involving tho application of this doctrine, to ■which they have never subscribed. There is another view of the Monroe doctrine, however, that is based on the words of Monroe, which simply inform European governments that any enoroachments by theni on South American governments would be looked upon as unfriendly to tüe Uriited ritates, ind does not necessarüy iuvolve any "predominance" in those governments by the United States. Right of Kevolution Denied. Another ubjsctiou that has been advanced is thut the arbitration treaty would absolutely deny the right of revolution and this might be a very serious matter to tlie United States. In the event that Canada should cast off allegiance to Great Brita n it would probably be impossible for this country to recognize her independence, much less annex the Dominion, even upon the unanimous application of its people. Question of Expatriatiou Also Involved Upon the question of expatriation the United States is at variance. with almost all of the European countries, which have found it essential to the rnaintenance of their great eystems of enforced military serv ce to deuy the right of expatriation to their subiects, and if such a question were submitted to arbitration the United States would be eertainly defeated in its contention and thcro would be no safety for our naturalizedcitizens anywhere outside of the United States. These are a few of the difficulties that at present beset the pathway of negotiations leading to a general arbitration treaty and it is doubtful if they can be ever overeóme.