The New York herald., 1920-01-28
4@Yj@'' :
WOULD NAME ROOT !.
FOR WORLD COURT
League of Nations Wants Him
to Join the Organizing
Committee.

WASHINGTON, Tuesday (by the As
sociated Press).-T second meeting OF
the council of the League of Nations,
business meeting. will be held in London
probably on February 10, according to ad-
vices received here today. At this meeting
the council plans to enter upon considera-
ton of one of the most important sub
ljects with which it has been charged under
the treaty of peace. namely. the constitu-
ton of the permanent court of interna-
tional Justice. .<-.5.-
The first meeting of the council held in
Paris, January f6, ,confinf-1 itself to mat
ters Of organiza ton necessary to meet con-
tingencies that had arisen under the
treaty, such as the appointment of the
Saar Valley Boundary Commission, which
had to be named within fifteen days after
the ratification of the treaty.
Project Due TO America.
1T is learned that the launching or the
permanent Court of international Justice
has been decided upon after great hesi-
tation, because this was on of the fatures
OF the peace programme In which the
United States had taken the greatest in
terest I'M fact, having originated the pro-
ject as one of the best means of preventing
wars by resort to judicial processes.
II. was to haze been considerse Ct the
first meeting of the council but was post
pond In order to afford opportunity TOR the
American Senate to act upon ths peace
treaty and for this nation TO be in position
to participate in the organization of the
court. The United States. it Wa pointed
out in the councils meeting, had given
this plan of settlement OF International
disputes it's original impetus C. the first
and second Hague conferences and also
at the London Prize Court conference.
| The council. II Is now learned, has
finally decided to go ahead with the plans
already made by the secretary of the
league for launching the codT.. While
these plans are not understood to be at all
detailed, 1t is known that they contem-
plate the approval by the councs af an
organizing committee OF seven or eight of
the most eminent Jurists irs the world to
amplify the whole structure of the court
The choices have been made with view
of finding men not only familiar with the
evolution of the league itself but also
representative of the different legal sys-
TENS Of the world. In order to assure that
the court may be acceptable and available
to all nations.
Elihu Root Favored.
Elihu Root, former Secretary OF state
of the United States, is known to have
been selected as the American member of
the commission. but It is not yet certain
that the council will feel free to offer him
the actual appointment in advances of
Americas s ratification of the treaty.
This subject now is under negotiation
with the viewpoint expressed by other ma
tions that they very much desire to name
Mr.. Root if the choice would not appear
udttmely In view of the treaty situation
in this country.
Mr.. Root has been recognized in Europe
as in the very forefront of American in
ternational jurists. Quite apart from all
else that he has done in stressing the necs
OF an international court his Instructions
to the American delegates to tho second
Hague conference I'm 1907 are accepted as
a landmark I'm the history of the subject.