The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-02-07

the plans to found an American So
ciety for the Judicial Settlement OF
international Disputes. The leaIlels
which you propose to publish, togethet
with the meetings of natlonai scope
which you are planning TO hold from
time to time. may have a very great
influence on the development OF pup
lie opinion on this important subject
If the Droposed court of arbitral justice
at the Hague becomes an accomplished
fact there will still remain the task
of securing the adhesion OF NUMBER
Of mowers to the court and the very inn
portant task of so cultlVatlng opinion
lin various countries as to incline gov
,crnments to resort to the court Wheh
occasion calls for it. There is no 9TH
cr single way in which the cause OF
Deace and disarmament can be so eff
fectively promoted as by the firm es-
Establishment of a permanent interna-
tional court of justice. Sincerely yours
WILLIAM H. TAFT.
Letter of Secretary Knox.
Department of State, Washington, ID,
C.. February 3, 1910.-My Dear Mr..
Marburg You are quite right in as
Stunning that l take not only keen
personal. but official, interest in the
movement for which your society is
to be organized for, as you are doubt
less aware, l have, in a recent clrcu-
lar note dated October IS, 1909, urged
the powers to invest the international
prize court with the jurisdiction and
functions of a court of arbitral justice
| thus completing the work of the sec
Ond Hague peace conference by car
rying into effect its recommendation
/ that the court of arbitral justice be
constituted through diplomatic chan
! neIs Should the identical note be
/ favcrably received and should the
court of arbitral justice be thus con-
| stituted, the consenting nations would
have permanent international tribu-
! nal for the judicial determination OF
controversies arising out of peace as
we'll as war, and it cannot be doubted
/ that such a tribunal would. in large
measure, render to nations the services
which national courts have performed
| for private litigants. BY the settle
ment of controversies susceptible of jul
| dicial determination before they have
| reached an acute stage. the causes OF
war would be minimiZed and a first
| step taken toward the gradual de-
crease of armament.
Regretting my inability to testify by
| my presence the great interest l have
| in the organization of your society,
am, very sincerely yours,
P. c. KNOX.
Elihu Roots Letter.
United States Senate, Washington
| d. c., Feb. ., 1910.-Mr. Dear Mr.. Mar
| burg beg to say to your guests that
[ sympathize very strongly with THEN
| object and believe that the proposed or
ganiZation is adapted to render a great
public service. l assume that the new
organization is to have a definite, spe-
cific object which may be indicated by
/ thee emphasizing of the word judicial
/ in its title to indicate a distinction
between that kind of settlement of in
| ternal disputes and the ordinary arbi-
| tration as it has been understood ir
| the past and is generally understood
now.
| | assume that you are going to urge
| that disputes between nations shall be
settled by judges acting under the
| judicial sense of honorable obligations
with a judicial idea of impartiaity
rather than by diplomats acting under
| The diplomatic idea of honorable OBJ
igation and feeling bound to negotiate
a settlement rather than to pass with
out fear or favor upon questions OF
! fact and law. 1t seems to me that such
[ a change in the fundamental idea Of
what an arbitration should be is es
sential to any very great further ex-
tension of the idea of arbitration.
| | have been much surprised, however
to see how many people there are o.
ability and force who do not agre,
with this idea at all, particularly peo-
pie on the other side of the Atlantic
The extraordinary scope of judicia
power in this country has accustomed
US to see the operations of govern
ment and questions arising between
sovereign states submitted to judge:
who apply the test of conformity t.
established principles and rules o
conduct embodied in our constitutions
1t seems natural and proper to us tina
the conduct of government affectin:
substantial rights and not dependn.
upon questions of policy should b
passed upon by the courts when oc
icasion arises 1t is easy, therefore 70
Americans to grasp the idea that tn,
same method of settlement should b.
lapplIed to questions growing out O
the conduct of nations and not in
Volving questions of policy In coun
tries, however where the court ex
Iercises no such power the idea is quit