The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-12-09
SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES
OF international Character
Through the Proposed Court
of ArbitraI Justice = DeIiv-
cred Before American So
cIety for Judicial Settlement
OF International Disputes.
by The Associated Fress }

by he Associated rress)
Washington, D. c.. Dec. e.-Thc
proposed international court of arbi-
trail justice should consist Of not more
than fifteen members and should rep
resent the different nations classified
in groups in the Judgment of Governor
Simeon +. Baldwin, of Connecticut.
rms plan he proposed tonight as the
most promising solution of the diiTi-
cultleS IN n way of organizing the
tribunal, in an address devoted to that
subject before the American Society
for the Judicial Settlement of Inter
national disputes.
In the event OF the concurrence Of
all civilized nations to setting up the
court could not be obtained, Governor
Baldwin thought that the formation
OF a ibuna by a few Of the greater
powers, each with one representative.
would still be feasible. The lesser
powers would recognize such a tribu-
nal, he believed and submit their
causes to it for adjudication. Among
the powers most likely to ratify the
proposition, the speaker mentioned
Great Britain, the United States,
France, Germany, the Netherlands,
Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway,
Switzerland and China.
Shall each power choose a judge,
or shall all join in selecting a lesser
number asked Governor Baldwin.
This question admits Of but one an
sWer. The court would be too unwiei-
dy, were its judges to be as numerous
as all the various powers. A tribunal
consisting of forty-five or fifty judges
might be called a court, but it could
not really fulfill hat office. 1t would
be a Congress of Nations.
The number Of judges, in order &c
commend the court to public conf
dence, could not well exceed fifteen
To increase it beyond that limit would
necessarily both weaken the sense OF
5 responsibility of each of the mem
bers, and impair the value Of the pri-
vate consultations leading to the ulti-
l mate decision OF a cause submitted.
, 1.-THE only alternative is to fix a def
S mite humble for the judges, and de
: wise some equitable scheme for theil
: election, which will result in securins
4 good men, without ~wounding tn
pride or national feeling Of any power
8 'One plan, and the simplest. woult
be to allow all the participating ma
tons to vote, directly or indirectly. 70
all Of them. Another would be t
i classify the different nations in diff
e ferent roups and then give n vot
n for all the Judges to each group, o
o else let Zach group cumulato $50 t
speak) its votes, with the prospect o
0lcCl11S q JudSC OA u w Poi A ~
choice.
Should the first plan be adopted
and should all civilized powers par
ticipate in the organization of tn
court, it would be more than doubt
full if a good result would be obtained
F%orty-fve or fifty electors, acting /
the quality Of national representative
r if each were given an equal vote wit
every other, would find it hard /
come to any general c~OnCensus c
opinion, unless after long delay an
IS serious chickering's. The temptation t
h secret bargains and coalitions woul
d also be a dangerous one. The grou
ia system seems to me of the create
4 promise"
1e Governor Baldwin cited the use {
IS the system at various recent interns
a. tional commercial congresses, but eI
er pressed doubt that universal concur
re renee to the establishment of a inter
st national court could be obtained.
in 1.-THE court must be set Il foot.
lg at ALL" he continued, ny the actio
eff Of part of the powers, and maintaint
bv the contributions of that par
only. II the neXt Hague COnfeTent
should set up a court Of justice for a
the powers that were ready to acceI
it. it might well be that only d IN
jority Of them would ratify me pro
a osition, and it might we'll besalso tn
O. this would be a source Of strength
he the new formed institution.
I'D If the eleven powers L have me
l. toned and nc more, became aSSocl
ted III the erection Of the re" intern
tional tribunal, it would not be II
o. possible to give TO each a represent
tive upon its bench, but il IS probat
il that the lesser powers would frank
n recognize the propriety OF giving I
10 great powers a larger recognition.
one or the other OF these Vays
oil working scheme conld DC aI!anseu !