Show arbitration arbitration has become the fashion this was the conclusion of lord Lansdown oa speech at the lord mayors banquet at the guildhall in london last week says public opinion he had recounted tho steps that had been taken for a settlement ot tho north BOA affair and announced that he had been approached by sir cho abc atc on the subject of an arbitration treaty with the united states in view of the bloody struggle in the far east it seems paradoxical to hope that the spirit of peaceful adjustment of international ter affairs is increasing but there as every reason to believe that at no distant future disputes over matters iv inch arc susceptible of exact definition and argue ent will be referred to courts ot arbitration rather than to trial by battle wars like the russo japanese which arise through the avarice or ignorance of the contending parties will always be possible at least until human nature is radically changed japans position toward arbitration was clearly outlined in a statement made by baron haya the japanese minister to england last week this was to the effect that after the tall ot port arthur japan would be willing to treat tor peace on the basis of a mutual evacuation of manchuria if this proves nothing else it demonstrates at least that japans successes have not imbued her with the lust for land or glory so often characteristic ot a successful nation As shown in the comment on the subject in our foreign department this week the basis offered by japan ts generally considered the height of reasonableness especially since she does not even insist on being allowed to retain port arthur to which she was entitled by the treaty of shimo and which has been held to be one of the unspoken causes of the war |