The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-08-31
PERMANENT COURT
AMERICAN PROPOSITION ACCEPT.
ED BY LEADING POWERS.
Formal Discussion Set for Au-
gust 28-Articles Provide for
an international High Court of
Justice, Easily Accessible and
Free of Charge.

proposition for the estap lishment Of a
permanent court Of arbitration has
been accepted in agreement with Ger
many and Great Britain and will come
up for discussion August %. It con.
sists of &c articles.
The first article records the desire
of the signatory powers to organize an
international high court of justice,
easily accessible and free of charge,
with judges representing the various
systems of laws of the world, and ca.
pable of insuring continuation of ar
bitration by Jurisprudence.
The second provides that the judges
must be "juris consults Of known
competence in international law, Sc
lected so far as possible from the mem
bers of the permanent court of arbi-
tration."
According to the third and fourth
articles the judges are appointed for
terms of twelve years and will enjoy
diplomatic privileges and immunity
while exercising their functions.
Article five provides that the courts
hall consist of seventeen judges, nine
forming ia quorum.
Article six allots the appointments
to the various nations.
Article seven provides that the high
court yearly shall appoint three
judges, with three substitutes, consti-
tuting special tribunal which can,
if necessary, try cases elsewhere than
at The Hague.
President to Be Elected
Article eight says that the president
of the court shall be elected every
three years by majority of the court.
Article nine deals with the pay
ment of the judges. The amounts are
not fixed, but the proposal contem-
plates fixed yearly salary besides
special remuneration when engaged
in cases, and travelling expenses.
Article ten forbids judges from re-
ceiving remuneration from their own
and other countries for services in
connection with the high court.
Article eleven says that the court
shall sit at The Hague except in cases
Of force majeure and the special in
stance provided in article seven.
Articles twelve and thirteen deal
with secretarial matters.
Article fourteen states that the high
court shall sit once or twice yearly,
in July and January.
Articles fifteen, sixteen, seven teen
and eighteen relate to cases which the
court is competent to try.
Article nineteen provides that
each party shall have it's own judges
to participate in trials of cases submit
ted to the court. If special tribunal
acts as commission of inquiry even
q person not connected with the court
can participate in the trial.
Articles twenty, twenty-one and
twenty-five deal with the court pro.
cedure and the calling of witnesses.
Articles twenty-three and twenty.
four empower the court to establish
its own rules. +
Article twenty-five proposes the
ratification of the convention at The
Hague as quickly as possible.
Article twenty-sixiproposes to estab'
lish the duration of the convention,
but the term is not yet fixed. Any
signatory power is entitled to de.
nounce the convention by notifying
the Dutch government two years be.
fore the expiring of such period, but
the convention remains intact to other
| powers.
The special commission which has
been examining the proposition to es'
tablish supreme international prize
court has approved the project drafted
by the United States, Great Britain,
Germany and France by ten to two
votes.