The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-09
The HaQue Tribunal,


To the Editor of The Journal.
Edward Everett Hale the veteran con-
servator of the public peace, in his
Lend a Hand Record" for January,
is liable to mystify the ordinary reader
Of current events in matters associated
with the purpose and history of the
Emphasis is laid upon the fact that
the Hague tribunal is founded for the
promotion of international justice and
peace, but that justice is to be the SUI
preme idea. The character Of the move
briefly summarized as follows:
First-The so-called arbitration trea-
ties are treaties in which the nations
pledge themselves to refer difficulties to
The Hague tribunal is an established
court and the treaties commit the treaty.
making. nations to refer to this Hague
This Hague tribunal is a body Of eighty
jurists who have been named by the
tWenty-four powers at The Hague, and
are a permanent board. This board has
never met, and probably never will meet
suggestive, seven, nine or thirteen, as
the case may be-who will sit and judge
any case which Is referred to the Hague
secondmz,Now, who made the Hague tri-
Hague tribunal. This was body of
about one hundred statesmen and jurists
who were called together in 1899, at the
request Of the emperor Of Russia This
august body adjourned after session of
some months, with the request that a
similar Conference might. be called in
five years. President Roosevelt has just
now requested the powers Of the world
to join in the second Hague conference.
The Hague conference created the
Hague tribunal. but observe that it is not
the Hague tribunal which has been
called together by President Roosevelt's
request to the different powers to unite
IN second Hague conference.
Th1rd-The Hague conference of 1893
fication Of international law. The twenty
four nations represented at The Hague
/ agreed to this code as far as it went
and In the second American conference
i held IN Mexico, the sixteen South Amer
lean states became parties to the recog-
milton of 1t as piece of international
| law.
BY a misfortune in the French Ian
word convention" To Frenchman, OF
to continental readers Of those nations
venfion pave Borrowed this word
such as we call an agreement plat
form, or covenant. But in England OF
in America the word convention generally
| means an assembly of people.
The Hague conference formulated its
decisions IN three agreements or cove.
nants, but in the language of the cont
i nent these are called the "three Hague
i conventions Here is an accident. al
! most ludtcrous, by which the creates
MISUNDERSTANDING comes into the mind O.
the average American when the thre,
Hague conventions are spoken of.
In the English translation of the dec
i lara ton signed at st. Petersburg, the in
ternational commission to deal with tn,
i North Sea incident was appointed ICON
formally to articles to Il Of the Hagu,
j convention of the 29th of July. 1899. 70
the pacific settlement Of international dis
putcs." .i -j
Thus, if we have in mind MIR. Hale
warming, we shall remember the import
ant facts, that the Hague conference
composed as described created the Hagu
tribunal, and that the Hague conven
lions are the rules adopted by the Hagu
conference concerning the formation O
, the Hague tribunal and commissions q
inquiry with regard to questions of of
fence which have arisen between ma
, tions '>'
? The international commission of in
. qu1ry composed Of the admirals who in
vestigated the North Sea incident, an
reported it's findings of fact thereon.
compared to a grand jury, but it is mo
the Hague tribunal. It was a temporar
. commission organized under the article
[ cited, and passed out Of existence bv fina
, adjournment at the conclusion Of tn
special work for which it was created
| C. r.. Faulkner