24 JUNE 1893, Page 18

On Friday week, Mr. Cremer introduced his resolution in favour

of negotiating a treaty of arbitration with the United States. Sir John Lubbock, who seconded the resolution in a remarkably able speech, gave some striking figures as to the burden imposed upon Europe by an armed peace. Daring the last twenty years the debt of Italy has risen from £483,000,000 to £516,000,000, that of Austria from £340,000,000 to £580,000,000, that of Russia from £340,000,000 to £750,000,000, and that of France from £500,000,000 to 21,300,000,000. Taking the Government debts of the world together, they amounted in 1870 to 24,000,000,000. They are now £6,000,000,000, and are still increasing. Mr. Gladstone made one of those delightful speeches on abstract questions in which he excels, accepting the resolution with slight modi- fications, but quoting President Harrison's reminder that, though it was possible to apply arbitration to a boundary line, "it was impossible to apply it to the case of international feud." We have dealt with the chief points at issue in another column. Ultimately, the resolution was unanimously accepted.