New-York tribune., 1920-12-04

W ants World
Law Recodified
Peace Commission to Work
tor Revising of Interna-
tional Statutes, With The
Hague Tribunal as Basis
Safeguards for Neutrals
Root and President Elect
Shown Almost in Accord
ON Association of Nations
By Carter Field

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.-A recodifi-
ca0lon OF all international law is one
OF the things for which the Peace Com
mission to be named by President
Harding, as disclosed in The Tribune
this morning, will work
Senator Harding had frequent dis
cusslons with his colleagues about the
recodification of international law
while the peace treaty was in the SEN
ate foreign relations committee, and
he is known to be just as heartily in
favor of this great step toward pre-
venting wars by averting many of the
causes Of international friction as any
Of his colleagues.
The Hague Tribunal is to be taken
ns the groundwork by the commission,
it was said by men close to Senator
Harding and who are familiar with his
general ideas about bringing about
peace and setting up something in the
nature of an association of nations
with a view to making wars less likely.
Friends of Elihu Root here to-day
gave very interesting account of Mr..
Roots own views as to the World
Court and the League of Nations,
which, if assumed to be correct, would
show that Mr. Root is in far greater
sympathy with Mr.. Harding's ideas on
an association of nations than the
country was led to suppose during the
treaty fight, or even during the cam
paign.
Roots Ideas Portrayed
These friends Of Mr.. Root said that
an article by Chanler Anderson, in the
current North American Review, was
really a reflection Of Mr. Roots ideas.
In discussing the work Of Mr.. Root and
his colleagues, as to the World Court,
Mr.. Anderson pointed out significantly
that this commission had to work with
the League Of Nations in mind, and fit
the World Court into the League of
Nations scheme. A clear inference is
left that had the commission of which
Mr. Root was member not been cir
cumscribed in that way it might read
ilv have been that much more salts
factory plan, and one which would have
had no connection with the League of
Nations at all. could have been worked
out.
A strong friend of Mr.. Root in the
Senate yesterday and to-day has been
calling the attention of his colleagues
to this article, and it was significant
that half dozen of the Senators very
close to Mr.. Harding had copies Of the
magazine containing the article on
their desks to-day.
This is of interest not so much be-
cause of the rumors that Mr.. Root
NAV be President Harding's Secretary
of State, as because it is practically
assured, as stated in The Tribune this
morning, that Mr. Root will be one
Of the members of the commission, as
will Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, as
chairman of the Foreign Relations
Committee.
Another interesting point in connec-
tion with the proposed work Of this
peace commission is that there is prac-
tically no opposition in the Senate TO
either a strengthening Of the Hague
tribunal or a recodifcation of inter-
national law.
Reed Urges Rccodi6cation
Senator James A. Reed, Of Missouri,
VINO was attacking the proposed Wli'
SON League Of Nations before even
Hiram Johnson made up his mind to
onpose it. has repeatedly said to The
Tribune correspondent that he would
be delighted to see recodiilcatlon OF
international law. Senator Reed dweit
at length on the international picker
ings between the beligerents and the
ncutrals on MANY disputed points dur
ing the war.
There were no developments to-day
AZ to the much discussed visit of Sen
ator Harding to the White House to call
on President Wilson and discuss the
problems which the Wilson Adminls-
tration will hand over to him on March
A. Silence was maintained at the w hlte
House. but the opinion still prevails
that the hint having been now gwen
H. inv, ,f1fY
extended by President Wilson to Mr..
Harilpv