By the-mail papers to hand we learn that the people of the United States are naturally jubilant that the first fruits of the Permanent Court of Arbitration tablished by the International 'Peace Con ference at the Hague should be a victors for them. The' Pious Fund". case iny volved merely the question of the inter, pretation, of a contract, and is, of cou one of comparatively Tittle importance, but it fy regardetl asia matter for cot gratulation in America that the case was Atomitted to arbitration, inasmnich as it tends to establish the principle of peaceful settlement. of international controxer: sies, of whatsoever nature they may be.
The Nes Yorlr "Sun" refers: to the matter as follows Gratifying as it is to Ame Americans that the Arbitration Court "sitting at the Hague has decided the "Pious Fund case between Mexico and the United States in our favour, it is of great import ance tothe world that the first test of the international arbitration machinery erect ed by the Hague Conference in 18% made at the instance of two American republics, should have been successful. The Guestion at issue was whether the change of nationality of a beneficiary relieved a country from its obligations as trustee. and grew out of the agreement made by Mexico in 1842, by which that country undertook to pay a yearly sum to the Ro man Catholic Church in California, then a part of the Southern Repub 1 Tu 1845 California was ceded to the United States; and the Mexican claim was that the cession extinguished the relations of trustee and beneficiary theretofore existing. The Court of Arbitration decided that that relation still existed, and condemned Mexico to pay arrears since 1869. The principle involved and upheld is not new; the amount at issue, less than $900,000, is not great; but the application of the two countries to the Perma nent Court. and the prompt decision, to pare the way for further arbitration, and are important for that reason: It is pleasant that the decision is in favour of the United States, but even more uvatifying that appeal was made to the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
'The trouble in Somaliland, referred to as the latest of Great, Britain's "little wars" is regarded with' a certain amount of interest by.the "man in the street." It is satisfactory to note that the journal istic comments, generally speaking, seem to appreciate the difficulties of the situation. The "Record-Herald" of Chicago, for instance, under the caption of "An Incident of British Empire Building," s The reverses of the British in Somaliland are a reminder that the British drumbeat which is heard round the world is always beating. There is never a time when war of some kind is not waging in some part of the Empire. While the great con'cst in South Africa was attracting the attention of all civilised countries there were minor conflicts in West Africa and East Africa, and should Africa be surrender or compromise, but' would guilt there is likely to be a diversion in Asia. With all their professions of, peace the Britons are the most militant power in the world and at the sane time its greatest pioneering force. The very enaments just reported are but an indent of many campaigns. There was battle after battle with the Mad Mullah during 1901, and on several occasions that clusive individual was supposed to have been crushed. "The Mullah's power seems completely shattered," says a di patch dated 16th June of that year. This was after one of his' defeats when the enemy's dead' lay in heaps beyond' the Britich breast-works. But the new prophet appealed, like the Mahdi and the Khalifa, to religious fanaticism, and so long as' his own lifo is spared he will be sre of a following. 11¢ is the reincarnated Mahomet, his war is a holy war, which makes the fatalists who support him despise death. They must be slaughtered by thousands, as their precursors were by Ritchener's men in Egypt, and although the Abyssinians have hada hand in the the burden of resisting them has been and will be borne by the British and troops under British leadership. 'The difficulty of the task is much increased by the nature of the country, which is in many' parts barren and desolate, with a wretchedly' insufficient supply of water. There is danger also from the possible disloyalty of frightened native soldiers, that Colonel Srayne and the few white men with him are undoubtedly in a perilous situation.
The Philadelphia "Evening Bulletin,"
Great Britain is seldom without one or more "little wars" on her hands, and the scrimmage in Somaliland promises to give lierable annoyance if the "Mad as the new Mohammedan chief n this region is called, shows an inclinaion to follow up his recent victory over a British column. The region in which the conflict that resulted in a British defeat, followed by a precipitate -retreat; took place, is in North-east Africa, remote from any base of supplies and from civilisation, and the task of sending a large army to punish the presumptuous Mullah will be costly and tedious, owing to the difficulty of furnishing transportation and subsistence. The reverse which has just been recorded: was—not -oxperix enced by white troops, but by. a force, of, native blacks, enlisted under the Bri clours and couimanded by 4 officers." Thee seem' to™"have been "*tio natch. for the fanatical: Arabs; and' the latter will probably not: be conquered until a powerful, force tillery Dillon, and: Blake, "to Atnerics, of the Irish nationalists. is-not, apparently,.ay. event of very much interest,-judging from the few references in the' Press., The Evening Bulletin" of Philadelphia' refers't> thei visit to that' follows The. appearance of Messrs.. Redmond. Davitt, Dillon, and Blake, in. Philsd:-tpz. as envoys of the Nationalists of Ireland in their Late-t movement for the fedenip tion of Ireland was the occasion' of a great gathering of their sympathisers in. the Academy of Musi¢ and. in Horticultural Hall. Governor Stone presided over thy meeting, declaring that the Irish question was still as much Alive as it ever' Wa: and calling on God to "speed. the day when. Ireland shall ba governed by Irish-, men." The envoys, denounced. English mi-gorernment. landlordism and agrarian tyranny, and when the hat' was passed around more than seven thousand dollar: were put in it in re<ponse to: their: clos quence,. The speakers took the. ground f that their agitation would involve, no conducted along peaceful and oonstitutional, lines,.and.the, earnestyess, as well, articlo'"on'* Carnegie's Advice' to Europe" which we'reproduce for the benefit-of our' reader Tai his: recent-speech, on the occasion of, his installation.as. the. Rector of, the, Scoitish University of Si. Andrew's, Mr. Carnegie solethaly warned' the pinices,' potentates '&hd powers " of' Europe" that their -only salvation: fromi: industrial. sub-. jugation by,, this. Republic. lay. in, the. formation. of ",, u1nion among themselves, for the maintenance of peace and common action igainist' the "invasion" of 'Ani can' goods. © Unless this is" done; "she" assured them that they: must expect to. "revolve, likeso, many Lilliputians around this giant Gulliver, the American Union, soon to embrace two hundred millions of the Englishsptaking race"and capable 6f supplying most of the: world's, "wants:"" There is no indication so far,..that thig, portentous utterance has shaken the governments: of Europe to their foundation, and it is quite possible that some of the foreign newspapers pay be unkind enowlih to describe it' as-a piece of braggadocio, whose form,*ta\say. the least, is not. signalls deference to the de-manids'6f os: or strict fidelity to the requirements of fact... That-the: United States, is a big. and. growing,.country is, pretty well appreciated on the, other, side, of the "Atlantic as' as among ow selves:' Bat''thé'theory thit Great' Britain, Germany, France; Russiaand" the other European, nations. must.. presently: be reduced to, the position of. its, satellites, savours rather tdo strongly of bombast and bodstfuliiess when it is' promulgated by an-Anierican'citizen in' public.' Mor over, if Mr. Carnerie: feels'sure: that an alliance. ageinst,, us is, necessary from the European point of view, why should, he,, as a presumably good American, go of his way to' urct such a' project Ts his impartial benevolence $6'grent' thi she" considers. it, his duty. tovnctvas.a-sort of advis chief to, the; srhole, civilised. race, rds seem, to bear. out s for the role of a paternal' and "'cosntopolitin 'political economist will-be-doubted bya' good' many" Persons who cordially-admit the. business: shrewdness hich lie, has shown in his on, a isposed to. give him full credit" for. the liberality with which ho is dispensing' some share of' the furills at his command...
York "Siti" thus' refers 2 -roviving'the Treaty of Cnkiar-Skelessi,. which. was. concluded i June, 1833, but, which, some, years, later, in defer to the' vehement, protest. serrate European Powers, abi Tt has been evident for' dine time back that: the Russian' Government "was' pro-paring: to take fresh steps to-emancipate itself from the clayses, of, the Treaty.of Paris of 1856, which prohibited the maintenance"' of a Russian'war navy in the, Black Sea: The' bases' of the -riew mote' were. undoubtedly: Inid at the conference held during, the past spring, and.summer between the, Emperor Nicholas, and, the, French' President, the King of Italy and the Germatt Etnpetot, and-the details are still unknown:;" 'The' events" of the" last? few, weeks, however, throw some-light: on' the sity and. the. reports, just he propositions said to hava to' the Sultan by the Grand lolas, during his recent visit to rope, seem.to, bring. things to a ist of the matter, appears, to.
he Sultan, wil) sqanat or. Jater.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.