THE Executive Committee of the Association does not hold itself responsible for the opinions of the writers of articles and letters in this JOURNAL. When they deal with controversial questions they should bear some signature, personal or impersonal.

PRIZE OF £50.

WE are desired by the Judges to say that the essays sent in by Miss Wallis, Miss Wells, Mr. Kyd, and Dr. Salaman were, in their opinion, deserving of honourable mention. A mistake occurred in our last issue in the name of the town where Monsieur Sève resides. It should be St. André-le-Panoux, Ain, France.

THE BEHRING SEA ARBITRATION.

SEEING that full reports are appearing in the daily newspapers of the proceedings of the Behring Sea Arbitration Court in Paris, it is unnecessary for us to give any report in these columns, besides the fact that anything like an alequate report would occupy much more space than we have at command. It will be useful, however, that we give here the official list of the Arbitrators, and others connected with the proceedings. They are:

ARBITRATORS.

GREAT BRITAIN.-Lord Hannen.

SirJ.T. D.Thompson, K.C.M.G. (Premier of Canada).

THE UNITED STATES OF EUROPE.

WE desire to call the attention of our readers to a remarkable paper presented to the Interparliamentary Conference of last year, by the Marquis B. Pandolfi, a summary of which will be found in another page. It will be seen that he considers the union of the European nations in a great confederation as indispensable to secure the preservation of peace in Europe; and that none of the other methods proposed for the attainment of that object are adequate. Such a scheme as he proposes would not, he thinks, in any degree interfere with the liberty or independence of the several States, while it would meet the numerous causes of conflict which now militate against the prosperity of all European States, and the very existence of some. Under the proposed Confederation there would be a Federal Parliament, consisting of two Chambers-one representing the Governments and the other the Parliaments. The business of this Federal Legislature would be to adopt legal enactments regulating the relations of the several States with each other, and forming a basis for the decisions of the Federal Tribunal. Europe has at present no laws which adequately prescribe and define international rights and duties, and which a tribunal can interpret. Arbitration, he asserts, is not applicable to the political questions which divide Europe, because there is no juridical basis for an arbitral decision of such questions.

As we have frequently said in these columns, it is the very urgent and serious duty of all who work for the abolition of war to consider whether

arbitration is, at present, all-sufficient-whether it can be applied to all cases, and whether it is a remedy which has a fair chance of being accepted by all. There must be no self-deception or superficial optimism in this matter. That would be treachery to the sacred cause we have taken in hand, and we are bound to admit that the Marquis Pandolfi's statements regarding present limits to the applicability of arbitration deserve serious attention. He declares that the Members of European Parliaments, who have recently been holding annual conferences, are really though not avowedly-convinced that the questions which now agitate Europe can not be submitted to arbitration," because arbitrators would have no juridical basis for their decisions either in existing political treaties, international law, or customs." The necessity of coming to a clear decision on this question of the sufficiency of arbitration for the decision of the great unsettled problems which are now, or may in the future become, a cause of danger, is all the greater because leading jurists are themselves divided in opinion. Of the two important works on this subject which appeared last year the one by M. Ferdinand Dreyfus asserts that there are questions which cannot be so referred, while the other by M. Michel

Revon, claims that all international differences are capable of such settlement.

Even if we are of opinion, as we certainly are, that the last-named writer has fairly made out his case, the fact remains that it is authoritatively asserted in many quarters that there are questions, like that of Alsace-Lorraine, which neither party can or will consent to refer.

This fact, as well as those numerous cases so well set forth by the Marquis Pandolfi, make it the duty of all men to study with the utmost attention this plea for the Federation of the European States as the most effectual security for European peace, however distant may be its accomplishment. We trust that the Interparliamentary Conference, to be held this year at Christiania, may have courage and capacity sufficient for an ample consideration and for a satisfactory conclusion as to this proposal to organise the United States of Europe.

H.P.

INTERNATIONAL UNITY THROUGH UNIVERSITY TEACHING AND

ASSOCIATIONS.

AT the Third Annual Peace Congress, held at Rome in 1891, resolutions were passed to the following effect: 1. "That it was desirable to adopt measures for cultivating among the students of Universities in all countries just and friendly sentiments towards foreign peoples.

2. That at all Universities instruction should be given respecting the services rendered to mankind by men of all countries, in the several spheres of sociology, religion, and politics. 3. That it was desirable that every University should afford facilities whereby its students should pass some of their terms at any foreign University, under suitable regulations, without forfeiting rights which they would have otherwise enjoyed; and 4th that steps be taken, if practicable, to hold an annual Inter-University Conference of teachers and students from the chief seats of learning in Europe and America."

Accordingly, a letter was addressed last year to the Universities in both hemispheres, forwarding copies of the above resolutions, and of Congress by the present writer,—with a request a paper on the same subject read at the Third for information on the several points above referred to. We have the pleasure to state that replies have been received from seventeen Uni

versities in the United States of America, Bohemia, England, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, and Sweden. regards subject No. 1, it is stated in five cases

that information relating to the services rendered

by foreign nations is fully and specially provided for; while in the other cases it is stated to be afforded, but indirectly. As regards No. 2

facilities for attending foreign universitiesthey are reported in seven cases to exist fully; but Oxford and Cambridge are not included among those seven.

Several of the Rectors and Heads of Universities have evinced considerable interest in the question thus raised, and have written letters from which we hope to make extracts on a future occasion. We are quite sure that good has been done by bringing this matter to the notice of the Universities; and doubtless the International Bureau of Peace will pursue the enquiry thus begun.

Quite independently of these steps, and without any knowledge that they were being taken, it has been determined that a Students' Congress should be held at Chicago during the Columbian Exposition "for the Extension of Inter-University Student Fellowship." We have received a letter on the subject from Mr. W. Howe Tolman, Ph.D., a member of the Advisory Committee of the Congress, and he will be glad to hear from University students on our side of the Atlantic. His address is 791, Madison Avenue, New York.

In the same direction vigorous measures have been adopted by our friend M. Jacques Dumas, President of the Association of the Young Friends of Peace, aide 1 by his colleagues. He and M. Henry Babut, Vice-President of that Association, brought this subject forward at the Berne Congress. They were supported by