11 JANUARY 1913, Page 2

Last Saturday, President Taft, speaking to the Interna- tional Peace

Forum, declared himself in favour of sending the Panama dispute to arbitration. He said that it was just when the issue of arbitration was in doubt that he was most in favour of it. "I should be ashamed," be added, " not to be willing to arbitrate any question with Great Britain in the construction of a treaty." We have always been confident that Mr. Taft would consent to arbitration after the Presi- dential election, and there is no doubt whatever that his latest declaration, which is consonant with all his previous advocacy of arbitration, represents what may be called the best opinion in the United States.