Evening star., 1914-04-26


AS something | md e =
scribably foreign in
he manner He steps forward. reveal
Ing shorter. white-mustached. ruooS-
checked gentleman whose twinkling eyes
betray a wholesome good nature and a
sense of humor. Next comes the third
of the group, American in every line OF
him. smiling face. an air of dignitied
assurance coupled with alertness
4
The three advance to the long desk.
There is a hustle in the great. bare court
room The half-dozen lawyers rise to
their feet and bow solennlv to the new
comers These. in turn, bow with equal
solemnity three times. once to the center
and once to each side. though all IN the
courtroom are grouped in a small space
IN front of them.
Then I, three figures on the elevated
platform seat themselves and the law
yers follow their example.
The international tribunal of arbitration
is in session.
The concrete result of a great world
movement is before you. Quietly. with
decorum and simplicity of practice, dis
putes between two great nations that
once would have been subject to the
arbitrament Of war are here being set
tied.
Since - -ch 0 this tribunal has been
sitting in a spacious courtroom loaned
for the purpose in the Carnegie Institu-
ton, on the Avenue of the Presidents at
Washington 1t has attracted but a mini
mum of attention. Hardly a souI-save
those officially connected with the tri-
bunal or there to represent some cause
before the body-attends.
Quite lost in the teeming political life
Of Washington. the tribunal plods stead
lily along, hearing argument in cases
that at periods in times past have set
the world agog with their international
significance. The final chapters in them
are now being written
But turn your attention to the per-
sonnel of the tribunal. 1t is humanity
very interesting. The tall gentleman in
,he center is Henri Fromageot. president
OF the tribunal and perhaps Frances
most distinguished international lawyer.
Russia borrowed his services in the ad-
5ustment of the claims arising out of her
war with Turkey generation ago. Italy,
too. has availed herself of his learning
while his own country frequently calls
upon him for counsel and endeavor in
the settlement of grave international
questions.
He is here because the United States
and Great Britain agreed upon him TO
preside over this arbitration in which
those two nations propose to wipe the
slate clean Of pecuniary claims pending
between them.
VI. Fromageot has the tall. bony sIen-
derness of the New England Yankee.
with the same high cheek bones and
bright eyes. but in his thin face is the
pallor of the student. He wears huge
black trimmed spectacles that add to
the gravity Of his appearance. During
his prolonged stay in Washington he
lives at the Cosmos Club. that abode of
scientists and students. unlike any other
cub in the word. and there he finds
tonGenial companionship.
To his right the merry-eyed figure is
that of Right Hon. Sir Charles Fitz-
patrick. G. c. NJ. c.. privy counselor to
the King of England. chief justice of
Canada and deputy governor general of
that Dominion. who is the British arbt-
'rator on the tribunal
For all his string OF alphabetical dis
f'nctions. Sir Charles is the most demo-
ratio of men, He is native of Quebec
served IN his younger days in the provin
al parliament. resigned in 1896 to enter
he Dominion parliament, where he at
once became solicitor general of Can
ada. He held that office until he became
ater be became chief Justice.
To the left of VI. Fromagerot sits the
American arbiter Chandler Anderson.
counselor for the Department of State
during the Taft administration and n
distinguished international lawyer In
$50 Mr.. Anderson's services to his
government began. He was secretary
for the United states and Great Britain
N the Rerins sea claims commission
Of that year. Two years later he was
secretary of the joint high commission
adjusting disputes between Canada and
The United States
He was counsel for the United States
"a the Alaska boundary commissions
work in London and in other boundary
disputes. During the administrations
Of Secretaries Root and Knox he was
empioyed as counsel for the United
states in numerous matters He was
agent for the United States in the
North Atlantic coast fisheries arbitra-
ion at The Hague In 1910 and he has
figured largely in other international
adjustments.
The tribunal in which he now sits is
the outcome of long negotiations CON
Quoted during the Roosevelt and Taft
admin stra tions for settlement of pc
cunIary claims subjects of the British
empire hold against the United States
and of claims American citizens hold
against Great Britain.
Away back in 1894. operating under
The Jaw treaty, the United States and
Great Britain had commission of some
=" nat this sort to adjust claims. Again in
sJ3 another one sat. In 1871 an in
ternational commission was constitut-
ed to adjust British claims arising out
OF the civil war. bur it was limited in
authority. The present tribunal then