No doubt compulsory arbitration is open to the objection that
its results may be very inconvenient; but the same objection can be raised against the decisions of any Court of Law. Sane men do not condemn our own Courts because a judgment may go- against them. -Most of the criticisms made by Sir Austen Chamberlain on Monday really meant that he is not yet ready to trust himself to the rule of law. It must be added that some of those who thoroughly approve of the signa- ture of -the Optional Clause think that the Government ought to have made a reservation about disputes as to capture at sea and blockade. We do not ourselves -believe that in the long run such a reservation would be of any use, as the conduct of any member of the League can be called in question by the ordinary pro- cedure of the League.
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