Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-08
HAGUE PEACE COURT
FORGOTTEN IN 1914
Founded IN 1899. IL Helped to
Settle Many Disputes Prior
to Great War.

IA lNaa a. a RESULT uf the peace confer
snee of thar >cat. callcd by the Czar Of
tiueaia. sir Julian raunccfote. later
Lord pauneetose. then British Amtas-
sador 90 Washington, urged az the
conference the Importance of per-
man,nt court a. which International
Disputes mlehi be referred. and drew
un an outline Tor the court, which Was
adopted with notifications. sixteen
ruwprs signed the convention estah-
llahinn the court on July -, 1899.
Tho articles provided for the dcsig-
nation hy each of the signatory Pow
ura of not more than four arhiuators.
a. he appointed Ter six years. ANY
TIVE slKnators Powers desiring 60 sub
mlt dispute could DO so BY notifying
the aflatiators and soliciting from the
oiNulll u4t two arhltrators each. who
wvre to choose an umpire. " they
were unahlc Ca agree the umpire was
a. he chosen rs third Power. Ia he
aRreod ON on hy special agreement the
nthnrators could he selected IN any
uiher manner, The arhitral tribunal
Agticie et uf the convention made Il
was to sit az Tho Hague when prae-
ticahle.
No lUttftfWfhi tiAhs
the duty of sirnatory Powers 20 re-
mina any two sienatorics between
whom an acute conflict had broken
out or was threatened that the court
was open for the determination OF tn,
dispute. such a reminder. II was pro-
Nlded. WAS 60 hc considered merely
an cxcrcise ~ Good offices. There
WAS no machinery provided for en-
foruinr the dCefccs of the court. and
Nations were not rcquired--thoy We're
merely mNited--,o submit their dis
putsa
Tho first case submitted to IN,
tlague Court was a long standing dis
pute between the United states and
Mexico. or rather between Mexico and
the Cathalic bishops in California
over what was known as the "pious
lund 81 the CALIFORNIA;" This was a
fund established IN the eighteenth
century for converting the Indians
of Upper and lower California To the
Christian faith.
IN tS42 the Mexican Treasury took
over the fund, agrccing 20 pay interest
in pcrpctuliy hut after the separation
Of Upper California from Mexico the
intgrest due that portion ~ the CALI
fornias was withheld, The question
was arbitratcd ln 1875 and an award
made against Mexico. bat Mexico paid
only the interest un 90 1865. The tive
Governments agreed in May. 1902. G
submit the whole cas- a. The Hague
and Up October the court gave a deci-
sion requiring Mexico Go pay.
The serond question submitted was
'hc question 20 whether Great Britain
Germany and Iisly. having biocSadsd
Venezuela &c enforce payment oi
claims. were entitled q preferential
treatment over creditor nations that
aad not taken such a drastic step. II
VAS agrecd that the Car should an-
soini the arbitrators. The agreement
ID submit the case was made In MAY
sos and ln February. 1904 they. de-
sided in favor of the, blockading Pow
trs.
Two more csses were submitted q
.ho court IN 1904 and 1895. one by
Grbat Britain. France and German,
against Japan, the point being Japan''
rlght % tax subjects Of those thre'
countries and the other betweei
France and Great Britain over certain
rights al Muscat on the southeas
was faithfully carried cut.
The Incident of the RL>so-Japanes
war ln feot. when the Russian fee
fired on British fishing vessels. was no
referred 90 The Hague. but 70 mixe'
naval commission.
Strengthened In lg0s.
The second Hague Conference q
1897 strengthened The Hague Cour
somewhat and Ia succeeding year
Franc. Gcrmany. Norway. Sweder
Russia. Italy. turkey. Japan. Mexico
Nenczuela. Peru. Chile and Bolivia IA
rascs before the court.
Iis provisions fur avertrg wa
proved utterly futile in the Balka
wars q 1912 ana 1913. when the Aus
trlan aitimatum wns q liverea 20 5 ~
la in 1914. following the assassina
tian of me Areh-dakc Francis Ferdi
m4rd Serbia aereed within Two day
% an hul Two Qf the ten demand
she Offered % submit 10 The Hagu
coo demands fhai Austria BE- ps srmitte
o. take p1rt in eliminating antl-Aus
taan propaganda from Serbia. an
than Austrian officers De allowed I
talc part ln Judicial proce dina
aealnaf serbian rlnsuifators Austrl
declared ihe rep'y mer shan" an
pfaceeded O. war.
Events moved fna rapidly Tor an
possible recuurse to The Hague Coui
fffef thai
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