PROTOCOLS. 15 



And His Excellency Mr. Gregers (xrani, the arbitrator named by 

 Sweden and Koiway; 



The Honorable John W. Foster and the Honorable diaries H. Tup- 

 per, Minister of Marine and Fisheries for the J>()niiniou of Canada, 

 were present at the meeting- as agents for tlie Governments of the 

 United States and Great Britain. 



The members of the Tribunal of Arbitration assured themselves that 

 their res])ective powers were in due and valid form. 



Lord Hannen, one of the arbitrators named by (rreat Britain, rose 

 to propose that His Excellency the Baron de Courcel, the arbitrator 

 named by France, should be requested by his colleagues to assume the 

 IHesidency of the Tribunal. 



The Honorable John M. Harlan, one of the arbitrators named by tiie 

 United States, supported the i)ro[)osal of Lord Hannen. 



The other members of die Tribunal of Arbitration having agreed to 

 the proposal, Baron de Courcel took the chair as jiresident and deliv- 

 ered the following address: 



Gentlemen: You have been pleased to exercise in my favor that 

 courteous usage which, in proceedings of an international character, 

 confers the presidency upon the representative of the country in which 

 tlie meeting is held. 



The Governments of Great Britain and the United States of America 

 have determined to end the long-standing dispute concerning the 

 Bering fisheries by a friendly arbitration, and in choosing Paris for the 

 seat of it they have paid a. distinguished compliment to France and to 

 her capital city. 



I venture to say that both are worthy of it. 



iSTowhere, be sure, would you have found yourselves surrounded by 

 a more sincere and warm sympathy with the great and good W(U'k 

 which you are charged to carry out. Through all the shocks and trials 

 which the hard necessity of events inflicts upon mankind France has 

 remained steadfast to ideals. Every generous conception moves and 

 captivates her. She has a passion for the cause of human progress. 

 And what aim can be more ideal, what progress more noble and wortliy 

 of attainment than the gradual disappearance from annmg the people 

 of the earth of a recourse to brute force. 



This is the aim of procedure by arbitration, and each new recourse 

 to it brings us nearer to that end by furnishing anotiier proof of the 

 actual possibility of that which, even yesterday, seemed but a dream. 



Some years ago, by the peaceful authority of a decision which two 

 proud and powerful nations had previously agreed to accept, the arbi- 

 trators assembled at Geneva put a happy end to a dispute which it 

 seemed at one time could only terminate in war. 



The Geneva arbitration was an e[>()ch in inteinational relations. It 

 may be said to have revived the old law of nations, and opened to it a 

 pew era with a boundless j)rospect of beneficent consequences. 



