Course 2, Volume 1A. American Foreign Policy in Growth and Action Page: 27
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THE UNITED STATES BECOMES A WORLw POWER
agreement, 54 to 1, after a fiery and intemperate
speech by Charles Sumner on April 13, 1869.
Late in 1869 informal conversations between
Sir John Rose, Canadian Minister of Finance, and
Hamilton Fish, successor to Seward as Secretary
of State, led to further discussion of
United States matters in dispute. Finally a joint
and Britain commission was created by the Unit-
turn to ed States, Britain, and Canada to
arbitration examine the situation. Meetings
took place in Washington in the
spring of 1871. The result was the lengthy Treaty
of Washington of May 8, 1871 which went beyond
the single question of the Alabama claims. These
claims were to be referred to a board of arbitrators
consisting of five members, one each to be selected
by Britain, the United States, Italy, Switzerland,
and Brazil. The inclusion of three neutral mem-
bers, and the insertion by Britain of an apology
for allowing the Alabama to escape to sea were
regarded by the Americans as a virtual surrender
of the British case. Moreover, the treaty set forth
three rules to guide the arbitrators.
RULES EMBODIED IN THE ANGLO-AMERI-
CAN TREATY, WASHINGTON, MAY 8, 1871:
a neutral Government is bound-First, to use
due diligence to prevent the fitting out, arming,
or equipping, within its jurisdiction, of any vessel
which it has reasonable ground to believe is intended
to cruise or to carry on war against a Power with
which it is at peace; and also to use like diligence to
prevent the departure from its jurisdiction of any
vessel . . . as above. . . . Secondly, not to permit or
suffer either belligerent to make use of its ports or
waters as the base of naval operations against the
others, or for the purpose of the renewal or augmen-
tation of military supplies or arms, or the recruitment
of men. Thirdly, to exercise due diligence in its own
ports and waters, and, as to all persons within its
jurisdiction, to prevent any violation of the foregoing
obligations and duties....
Other provisions of the treaty referred the
northwest boundary dispute relating to the San
Juan islands and the line through the Juan de
Fuca Straits to the German Emperor as arbitrator.
The Americans were given almost unlimited
fishing rights along the Canadian east coast and
the British and Canadians received similar privi-
leges south to Delaware Bay. A commission was
also set up to decide general claims of both sides.
The Alabama claims tribunal met at Geneva,
Switzerland, on December 15, 1871 and handeddown its final decision the following September.
The United States was awarded $15,500,000 upon
the finding by the arbitrators that Britain had
failed to exercise due diligence in the cases of the
Alabama and the two other raiders. Later deci-
sions by other arbitrators provided for by the
treaty awarded Britain $1,929,819 for general
claims, and $5,500,000 for fisheries claims, while
the German Emperor upheld the American rights
to the San Juan islands. As Bailey remarks:
In assessing the Treaty of Washington, we may
conclude that it was the greatest triumph for arbi-
tral methods that the world had yet witnessed. It
provided for four significant arbitrations, three of
them of major importance. It was one of those period-
ic purgations that dispelled every serious cloud in
Anglo-American relations.8
The Treaty of Washington did not settle all
matters between the United States and Britain,but no new
Anglo-
American
frictions in
Cleveland's
timecrisis of any significant proportions
arose before 1895. There had been
troubles over Canadian fisheries and
over sealing in the North Pacific.
In Grover Cleveland's first adminis-
tration a minor incident inflamed
tempers for a time. This was over
the injudicious action of the Britishminister in Washington, Sir Lionel Sackville-West,
who meddled in the presidential campaign of
1888. President Cleveland demanded the imme-
diate recall of the indiscreet diplomat.(20)
For many years the boundary between Venezue-
la and British Guiana had been in dispute. Finally
in 1887 the Venezuelans broke off diplomatic re-
lations with Britain because Britain would not
submit the issue to arbitration on Venezuelan
terms. Early in 1895 both houses of the American
Congress adopted a resolution urging arbitration
of the dispute. Richard Olney, Cleveland's Sec-
retary of State, sent a note to Thomas F. Bayard,
American ambassador in London, protesting what
he termed Britain's violation of the Monroe Doc-
trine in refusing to arbitrate the controversy.
SECRETARY OLNEY'S DISPATCH TO AMBAS-
SADOR BAYARD, WASHINGTON, JULY 20,
1895: . . . the Government of the United States has
made it clear to Great Britain and to the world that
the controversy is one in which both its honor and
its interests are involved and the continuance of which
it can not regard with indifference. . . . We are now
8 Bailey, o . cit., p. 422.27
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Air University (U.S.). Extension Course Institute. Course 2, Volume 1A. American Foreign Policy in Growth and Action, book, April 1959; Alabama. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1077937/m1/41/?rotate=0: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting National WASP WWII Museum.