New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-01-01
l. LOndOnSecretariat Invites
Noted New York Law
yer to Assist in Setting
Up Tribunal of Nations
Peace Awaited to
Carry Out Project
Supreme Bench Scheme
To Be Perfected Whetl,-
er or Not U. S. Signs

WASHINGTON, Dec. 81 (By The As
sociated Press).-Elihu Root, former
Secretary of State, will be called or
to give his assistance and advice ir
the launching OF. the great nternationa
supreme court provided for under the
league of nations
OF the instrumentalities which are
to be set in motion almost immediatel,
upon the proclamation of the peace, the
international court of justice is re
garded by the Supreme Council as Of
ranking Importance.
Consequently, that body, through it:
/ secretariat in London, already has gone
as tar as possible in advance of the
actual declaration of peace toward the
creation of the court.
Work To Be Mapped Out
Information now has come to hano
that the plans have been so far per.
fected IS to permit of the extension tc
certain jurists of international reputa.
ton of invitations to form a mana ge ria
committee to plan the details Of the
permanent court of international JUS
tice and to define the scope of its
activities.
In the beginning, at least. only mer
OF wide reputation from a few of the
Entente nations and the United States
have been selected, but it is probable
additions will be made to the list. even
to the point Of admission of great
Jurlsts from late enemy states, provided
their governments have adhered mean
time to the league
Tho l..
bers OF the committee, not with ref
erence to their nationality. but SOLELY
upon the basis Of reputation as great
international lawyers and judges, which
would make it possible to include some
Latin American names, regardless of
the political Importance of their ma
tions
Mr.. Roots name has been favorablv
considered in the selection of these
managers in full recognition of the
fact that the United States has not vet
finally approved the peace treaty.
Root Backed Project
The reason was to be found in the
unremlttlng efforts of the former Sec
rotary OF State to bring such tribunal
as the international court into exist
cnce. beginning when he was premier Of
President Roosevelt's Cabinet.
Through the American Society of In
ternational Law he has urged the
project, and it is stated that in the
negotiations in London ACCOMMODATING
the ultimately futile attempt to organ
lze an international prize court for
mer Secretary Root very nearly sue
ceeded IN transforming that limited
tribunal into real court for the
adjudication Of nearly all issues be-
O1)1n l.. i
threaten to involve them in war.
The great difficulty in finding a
satisfactory plan for such court always
has been the adjustment Of the claims
of the smaller nations to equal rep
resentaton in membership with tho
great powers, and it was Mr.. Root who
finally proposed what it was believed
would be a solution OF the problem,
had the whole project mot been aban-
doned
Therefore the persons who are max
ing the plans for the meeting of the
managers, which is to take place lii
the near future in London, have felt
assured that they could count upon
the active assistance of Mr.. Root, even
in the absence of final action by his
government on the peace treaty.
The invitations are being EXTENDED d
through the London secretarat, with
the design to give life Immediately
upon the PRONUNCIATION of the treaty
to Article IA, which reads:
The council shall formulate and
submit to the members Of the league
for adoption plans for the establish
ment OF permanent court of inter
national justice.
THE court shall be competent to
hear and determine any dispute of an
international character which the
parties thereto submit to it, The
court may also give an advisory opin-
ion upon any dispute OF question re-
fcrred to it by the council or by the
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