On Tuesday the Conference discussed the subject of arbitration. The
debate was chiefly remarkable for the speech delivered by Mr. W. J. Bryan, who moved a resolution based upon the abortive Anglo-American Treaty of 1897. The resolution requires that "if a difference should arise between the parties which by the terms of the Convention should not be submitted to arbitration, the parties shall not have recourse to any measure of hostility" before demanding either an International Commission of Inquiry or the mediation of a friendly Power. The motion, which was carried unanimously, was framed to meet the old difficulty that a State will not arbitrate on any questions which touch its national honour. Mr. Bryan's proposal secures a breathing-space and an investigation of the facts, and gives an opportunity for irritation to calm down and for the "mobilisation" of public opinion towards a peaceful settlement.
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