And for the damage done to their ships the
Americans now claimed recompense from the British Government. The
ship which had done the most damage was called the Alabama and from
this the claims made by America were called the Alabama Claims.
At first, however, the British refused to consider the claims at
all. For years letters went to and fro between the two governments,
and as the British still refused to settle the matter, feeling in
America began to run high.
But at length the British consented to talk the matter over, and
a commission of five British and five Americans met at Washington.
After sitting for two months this commission formed what is known
as the Washington Treaty. By this Treaty it was arranged that
the Alabama Claims should be decided by arbitration. A Court of
Arbitration was to be formed of five men; and of this court the
President of the United States, the Queen of England, the King of
Italy, the President of Switzerland, and the Emperor of Brazil,
were each to choose a member.
The men chosen by these rulers met at Geneva in Switzerland,
and after discussing the matter for a long time they decided that
Britain had been to blame, and must pay the United States fifteen
million five hundred thousand dollars. Thus the matter was settled
in a peaceful way. Fifty years before, a like quarrel might have
led to war between the two countries.
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