from arbitration points which may appear to them too important to be
submitted to it?

Finally, the very composition of the tribunal was in contradiction to
the reservations made by the English Government. The third arbitrator
would be a foreigner, and with this third arbitrator would rest the
decision.

[Footnote 22: _Le Siècle_, April 26th, 1900.]


2.--_Mr. Chamberlain's Conditions._

In his telegram of July 27th, however, Mr. Chamberlain did not reply by
an absolute definite refusal. He rejected the composition of the
tribunal; but he acknowledged that: "the interpretation of the
convention in detail is not exempt from difficulties, putting aside the
question of the interpretation of the preamble of the Convention of
1881, which regulates the articles substituted in the Convention of
1884." And then Mr. Chamberlain invited Sir Alfred Milner to enquire of
Mr. Krüger whether he would accept the exclusion of the Foreign element
in the settlement of disputes, arising from the interpretation of the
Convention of 1884:

"As to how far and by what method, questions could be decided by a
judicial authority whose independence, impartiality and capacity
should be above suspicion."

Thus the constitution of a tribunal of arbitration was accepted by Mr.
Chamberlain, and in his despatch of August 28th he directed Sir Alfred