Editorial Department
769
down the principle that an employer bound their claims, but that they considered it nec by such a clause who employs a non-union essary to make certain reservations. There ist is liable to a penalty, if in the opinion of upon the President of Venezuela tele the Court there are at any time during the graphed that he recognized in principle the existence of the employment competent un justice of the claims which the allied powers ionists available to do the work required to had presented to Venezuela; that these be performed, and that the question of the claims would already have been settled if it relative competency of the workman is a had not been for the Civil War, and that to matter not for the employer, but for the day the Venezuelan government bowed to Court, to decide. An employer bound by superior force and would send Mr. Bowen, such a preference clause, therefore, cannot; who would be authorized to settle the whole safely employ a non-unionist unless he has j question as the representative of Venezuela, to Washington to confer with the represen applied to the secretary of, the employers'tatives of the powers which had claims union and been informed that none of his against Venezuela in order to arrange an members are available, and is liable if he immediate settlement or for reference to does not discharge the non-unionist directly The Hague Tribunal or other arbitrator. a unionist is available. The secretray of the The German government then informed the employes union is therefore clearly master United States that before entering into fur of the situation, and the employer, while ther negotiations with Venezuela it ap bound to pay the wage fixed by the award peared necessary that President Castro or do the work himself, cannot choose the should give a definite declaration that he ac man whom he thinks will give him the best cepted unconditionally the reservations con value for his money. Further, the advances tained in a previous communication, be must be made by the employer, the em sides which he must specially make clear in ployés union being under no obligation to what manner he intended to pay the de see that their men are on the spot and apply mands contained in that memorandum, or for the work. to give security for the amount. In reply to Like the prohibited immigrant, the nonthis demand President Castro telegraphed unionist is "not wanted" by the ruling class, to Mr. Bowen that the Venezuelan govern and it seems safe to predict that in a short ment accepted the conditions of Great Bri time he will be as rare a phenomenon as, for tain and Germany, and requested him to go instance, a baby. immediately to Washington for the purpose of conferring with the diplomatic represen IN the American Lan1 Review for Septem tatives of Great Britain and Germany and ber-October, Rudolf Dulon praises the de with the diplomatic representatives of the cision of the Arbitration Tribunal at The other nations which had claims against Hague, which held that Great Britain, Ger Venezuela and to arrange either an imme many and Italy—the blockading powers— diate settlement of the claims or for their "had preferential rights over the other submission to arbitration. This telegram claimant nations in the settlement of the was transmitted by Mr. Bowen to the Secre claims against Venezuela," and states the tary of State at Washington and by the facts in the case more fully than they have United States ambassador at Berlin by in been stated heretofore. He says: struction communicated to the German gov After the Venezuelan ports had been ernment a part of a letter from Mr. Bowen placed under blockade Venezuela asked the to the Secretary of State of the United United States to convey to Germany and States, which was marked confidential, and Great Britain a proposal for an arbitration. in which Mr. Bowen requested that if, as he This was done. Germany and Great Britain understood, Great Britain and Germany replied that arbitration seemed to them a sat isfactory basis for arriving at a settlement of wanted to know what guaranty they would
