The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-13
PERMANENT PEACE
COURT FAVORED
Secretary KnOX's Proposal Well
Regarded by Several Lead
ing Powers.
MAY HAVE FAR-REACHING
EFFECT UPON NATIONS
Cannot Abolish Strife, hut Can
Settle Controversies That
Lead TO War.

N>ttoIll -NtlON. Jan. l-.--iState de-
partment officials have received with
much satisfaction during the last few
DAYS tIdings leading them TO believe
that several of the principal powers OF
Europe are considering favorsblv See
rotary kuox s proposal TO the M lions
looking TO the establishment of "A perma-
nent court Of international arbitral JUS
tice. While no formal or definite an
swers have been received 10 the Joint
note addressed 70 the powers, diplomats
mere and abroad recognize the great
Importance of the proposition from an
international peace standpoint,
In discussing the scope and iurisdic
non of the proposed court state DE-
partmeDt official familiar with tho plan.
explained today that it. was not tho in
tentlon directly to supplant the inter
national peace court established as Il
result Of the second Hague conferences:
nevertheless he made II clear that had
the court been thoroughly satisfactory
IN MS operation 4 new court would not
have been suggested.
Need Of New Plan.
The so-called permanent court as at
present constituted Is merely a panel of
Judges and experience is held to have
shown that the selection Of these Judges
Is difficult task. Besides that tho tri-
bunal when constituted decides only the
particular case submitted 10 it, and
with that decision passes out of exist
ence; new case requires a new tri-
bunal. This temporary character of the
court results in lack of continuity in
policy. Because Of the delays incidental
to the erection of each bench and thc
enormous expense of It's operation. only
have hppn s1ih huiI 7 TOD ,,T,f to bn
present time for its adjudication.
The present peace court is of limited
| jurisdiction and its very existence pre-
supposes the existence Of war; for il is
only in time of war that neutral proper
! Y may be captured and conhscated.
| The acceptance by the nations OF See
rotary Knox's proposal would, it is
urged, cndow the world with its first
| truly permanent international tribunal.
sitting permanently aud adequate TO the
| controversies arising IN the ciTcum-
| stances either of peace OF of war.
Would Increase Powers.
Secretary KnoX's proposal is simply
10 enlarge the scope and character Of
! the peace court He considers its COM
position satisfactory If not ideal, and he
| proposes 70 invest II with the lurisdic-
tion and functions of court of srbitral
! Justice, thus securing the adoption Of
the court as a chamber of peace court
| by single negotiation.
Although the court would have no
power to enforce its decision. experience
! is cited as showing that international
accepted by the parties, and it is argued
! that permanent couTt Of arbitration
would surely have the support of the
public opinion of the world. In the
event of war the proprletY of actions
affecting neutral rights would be deter
. tglN IL, IL,
majority of which would represent neu-
trail nations. and thus neutral interests
would no longer be al the mercy of bel
| ligcrcnt privilege.
| The state department Official who pre-
! sentcd these considerations in favor of
the court went on to say
| Good Results Predicted.
'.The acceptance of this simple de.
vice would AT a stroke. il would seem,
realize the hopes and aspirations of cen.
turies bv the establishment at The
Hague of tribunal permanently in
session. prepared to receive and adiudi'
cate all eases submitted to its arhitra-
mcnt. without the difficulties and de.
! laws at present incident to the forma-
| tion of a temporary court and without
expense TO the htlgatipg nations be
cause the new court had been sustained
/ by the nations party TO its establish
mcnt.
! 1.-The members OF the court would be
fitted by training 10 SIT rs Judges; there
would grow up an accumulation of CO.
bereut and continuous precedents to es
tablsh compact, enlightened, and self
consistent body of international law.
''Thc court. therefore, would in the
highest and best sense of the word be a
court of peace and its establishment
would not merely convert arbitration
into a judicial proceeding, but the Jus
ticc and reasonableness of its decisions
would incline nations to make frequent
use of il. 1t would not abolish war, but
it would settle by judicial means con
trovcrsies which ii unsettled might lead
to war It's creation would, therefore.
mark an epoch IN international rela
tons. and the United States. which BY
Hays treaty has practically created
modern arbitration. would endow tne
world with an institution calculated to
make tho resort To arbitration easy, in