The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-02-02
LEAGUE TRIBUNAL
IS GIVEN APPROVAL
WORLD COURT OF JUSTICE PLAN
MADE PUBLIC AT LEAGUE
HEADQUARTERS.
Projects Failure Would Be Regarded
as international Misfortune, in Opin.
lon of Council; Governments Asked
to Express Individual Views.

LOndOn.-The headquarters of the
league of nations on September ii
made public the text of the project
for a permanent court of international
justice as adopted by The Hague COM
mittee Of justice, of which Elihu Root
was a member, together with letter
from the council of the league to all
governments which have entered the
league.
The letter says: 1.-THE council do
not propose to express any opinion on
the merits of the scheme until they
have had full opportunity Of consid-
ering it,
1t states, however, that the project
was prepared by a most competent tri-
bunal representing widely different
national points of view, and adds:
THE council would regard as ire
concilable difference of opinion on the
merits of the scheme as an interna-
| 1t would mean that the league was
| publicly compelled to admit its inca
| pacity to carry out one of the most
| important of the tasks which it was
invited to perform. The failure would
be great and probably irreparable: for.
| if agreement proves impossible under
circumstances apparently SO favor
| able, it is hard to see how and when
the task of securing it will be sue
| cessfully resumed
Will Submit Proposals.
The council states it will later
submit its recommendations to the
assembly of the league Of nations.
The draft of the proposed world
court given out consists of sixty
two artivles, divided into three chap
tiers on organization, competence OF
court and procedure. A preamble
states the general purposes of the
court as follows:
"a permanent court of information.
al justice. to which all parties shall
have direct access, is hereby estab-
lished, in accordance with article
fourteen of the covenant Of the league
of nations. This court shall be- in ad
ditiOn to the court of arbitration or
ganized by The Hague convention OF
1899 and 1907, and to the special tri
bunals of arbitration to which states
are always at liberty to submit theil
disputes for settlement"
Membership of Court.
Articles two and three give thu
membership of the court as follows:
The permanent court of interna
tional justice shall be composed of ;
body of independent judges. elected
regardless of their nationality from
amongst persons of high moral char
acter who possess the qualifications
required in their respective countries
for appointment to the highest judicia
offices, or are jurisconsults of recOg
lized competence in internationa
law.
THE court shall consist of fifteer
members: Eleven judges and fou
deputy judges. The number of judges
and deputy judges may be hereafter
increased by the~assemblage upon thu
proposal of the council of the league
} of nations. TO total of fifteen judge:
nd six deputy judges"
The manner of choosing the judge:
by the different national groups i:
provided. The members of the cour
are elected for nine years. The pres
ilent and vice president of the cour
serve for three years. The seat OF
the court is established at The Hague
session shall be held each year be
ginning June 10, and an eNtraordinar.
session may be called whenever nee
essary by the president of the court
who must reside at The Hague.
The questions which the court il
competent TO determine between
members of the league are given a.
follows: The Interpretation of {
treaty. Any question of international
law. The existence of any fact which
if established, would constitute s
breach of an international obligation
The nature or extent of reparation tC
be made for the breach of an interna
tional obligation. The interpre
tation of sentence passed by the
court.