Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-01-01
ROOT WILL HELP
FORM WORLD COURT
One of the Big Men Selected
to Give Advice in Launching
international Tribunal Under
League of Nations
PRELIMINARIES COMPLETE
One Reason for Selection of Root Is
Found in HIS Former UnremittinE
Efforts TO Bring an international
Court into Existence

Washington, Dec 81 CBy the Asso-
ciated Press) ,--Elihu Root, former secre-
tary of state, will be called upon to give
his assistance and advice in the launch-
ing of the great international Supreme
Court provided under the League of
Nations.
OF the instrumentalties which are TO
be set in motion almost Immediately upon
the proclamation of the peace, the inter
national court of justice is regarded by
the Supreme Council as of ranking impor-
tance. Consequently, that body through
its secretariat in London already has
gone as far as possible in advance of
the actual declaration of peace iowa rds
the creation of the court.
Information now has come to hand
that the plans have been so far Der
fected az to permit of the extension to
certain jurists of international reputation
OF invitations TO form a managerial COM
mlttee to plan the details of the perma-
nent court of International justice and
to define the scope of it's activities
In the beginning at least only men of
wide reputation from a few of the en-
tente nations and the United States have
been selected but it is probable that
additions will be made to the list even
to the point of admission of great jurists
from late enemy states, provided their
governments have adhered meantime to
the league. The purpose is to name such
members of the committee, not with ref
erence to their nationality, but solely
upon the basis of reputation as great in
ternational lawyers and judges, which
would make it possible to include some
Latin-American names, regardless of the
political importance of their nations.
Mr.. Roots name has been favorably
considered in the selection of these man.
ayers in full recognition of the fact that
the United states has not yet finally ap-
proved the peace treaty. The reason
was to be found in the unremitting eff
forts of the former secretary of State to
bring such tribunal as the internation-
al court into existence. beginning when
he was premier of President Roosevelt's
cabinet Through the American Society
of International Law he has urged the
project and it is stated that in the nego-
tiatons in London accompanying the ul-
timatey futile attempt to organize an
international prize court, former Secre-
tary Root very nearly succeeded in trans
forming that limited tribunal into real
court for the adjudication of nearly all
issues between nations that might threat
en- to involve them in war.
The great difficulty in finding salts
factory plan for such a court always has
been the adjustment of the claims of the
smaller nations to equal representation
in membership with the great powers
and 1t was Mr.. Root who finally pro-
posed what it was believed would be
solution of the problem had the whole
project not been abandoned. Therefore
the persons who are making the plans
for the meeting of the managers, which
is to take place in the near future in
London, have felt assured that they
could count upon the activity assistance
of Mr.. Root. even in the absence of final
action by his government upon the peace
treaty.