ALABAMA CLAIMS. 57 
comprehended within the scope of the Treaty as main- 
tained by the United States. 
What Europe dreaded, what all European opinion 
sought to prevent, was a rupture between Great Brit- 
ain and the United States, to disturb the money- 
market of Europe, and impede the payment by France 
of the indemnity due to Germany. And all men saw 
that the United States must and would resent the 
refusal by Great.Britain to observe the stipulations 
of the Treaty of Washington. 
PRESENTATION OF COUNTER-CASES. 
Such were the circumstances, in the presence of 
which arrived the time, namely, the 15th of April, at 
which the two Governments were to file at Geneva 
their respective Counter-Cases. 
The British Government was so solicitous to fulfill 
on its part all the stipulations of the Treaty, that it 
caused special inquiry to be made whether the Amer- 
ican Government had any objection to Great Brit- 
ain filing her Counter-Case without prejudice to her 
position regarding consequential damages; to which 
Mr. Fish replied that the British Government was 
bound to file its Counter-Case, but its doing so 
would not prejudice any position it had taken, nor 
affect any position of the United States. 
Accordingly, on the 15th of April, the Counter- 
Cases of Great Britain and the United States were 
duly filed, with express reservation of all the rights 
of both Governments. 
The British Counter-Case, consisting of four vol- 
