The Washington herald., 1920-12-14
Decision for Tribunal to
Settle Disputes Is
Unanimous.
ABSENT NATIONS
TO BE ADMITTED
Majority Decisions by
Board of Fifteen Will
Prevail.

GENEVA, Dec. 13.-The League OF
Nations assembly today unanimous
ly adopted the plan for an interna-
tional tribunal drafted by Elihu
Root of the United States and repre-
sentatives Of other nations.
The assembly voted on the ques-
ton after the plan had been pre-
sented by Leon Bourgeois. French
delegate. All the plans for opera
tion of the tribunal were explained
by Bourgeois after which the dele
gates debated the various proposals.
It was explained that the United
States, which played such a proml-
nent part in drafting the plan would
be admitted to the court on equality
with members of the league
Majority Vote to Decide.
majority vote of the judges will
decide all cases, according to the
draft presented to the league In
case of a tie the president of the
tribunal will cast the deciding vote
II il is desirable, the number OF
judges may be increased later from
eleven to fifteen. The members
were selected for a term OF nine
years and may be reelected.
Eleven judges must sit in every
case, the rules provide, and there
must be at least one Judge from
each of the nations represented in
the disputes coming before the
tribunal.
Urges Compulsory Jurisdiction.
In opening debate on the tribunal
recommendations Senator La Fon-
taine. Belgium. strongly urged that
the courts jurisdiction be COM
pulsory.
II nations are not compelled 20
take their disputes before the trib-
unal, he said. they will have the
full right to resort to war. Provi-
sion for participation in the tribunal
by non-members of the league was
announced by Hagerup. Norway, TO
be intended especially for America
which was prominent in drafting
the plan.
Mccormick II Spectator.
Mediu Mccormick. Republican
Senator from the United States,
and widely credited here with be-
ing at least an unoficial observer
for President-elect Harding, was
one of the assembly's guests when
Bourgeois began reading his report
Bourgeois outlined the commits
sion plan for establishment of a
tribunal with headquarters at The
Hague. He said the court will be-
gin holding sessions June Is of each
year and terminate when the docket
is cleared.
Labor cases, he explained, will be
heard by a special chamber of fve
judges to be appointed by the court.
Similar provisions were made for
the hearing of transportation and
communication disputes.
AS provided under the Versailles
treaty, Bourgeois said. the oficial
languages of the tribunal will be
French and English.
Germans Protest seized Territory.
GENEVA, Dec. 13.-The German
government today presented a new
note to the assembly of the league
of nations refusing to recognize the
decision of the council of the league
regarding the award of Eupen and
Malmedy, formerly German terri
tory, to Belgium.
The districts Of Eupen and Mall
medy, small parts of West Prussia,
surrounding towns of the same
names, were taken away from Ger
many under tho treaty of ver-
sailles.
Root Explains Court Plan.
MARION. Ohio, Dec. IS.-The
world court now being organized
under the league of nations syould
prevent war except where one ma
tion is bent on a fight Elihu Root,
who helped draft the plan for this
tribunal, said here today following
conference with President-elect
Harding.
Root said nothing regarding his
conference with Harding other than
that it was interesting and pleasant
They talked for more than three
hours.
Optimistic Of Courts Success.
Afterwards Root outlined the plan
of the court and expressed his view
that 1t would go far toward making
world peace.
"If you don't want people to fight
you must provide some other way
for settling their difficulties" Root
said.
THAT is the way we abolished
warfare between individuals and 1t
is the way 1t must be abolished be-
tween the nations. In sss cases out
of 1000 the subject matter of a
dispute is less important than that
1t should be settled peaceably. We
must have some machinery where
this can be done"
Ynnk Tr1de in Greece