Daily Kennebec journal., 1922-01-31
THE WORLD COURT


of the League Of Nations, chosen
from . world ballot by the suffrage
Of nifty -one nations, is now installed
in the Peace Palace ut the Hague. to
be a permanent court Of law always
oren for the peaceful settl.men. of
international disputes-provided those
are referred to it, and provided fur
ther that practise shall show its find-
ings are respected
It should be recalled that at the
second Hague Conference in 1907
Secretary Roots instruction to the
American delegates was to endeavoi
to create a permanent tribunal COM
posed Of judges who are judicial Of
fcers. and nothing else. who are paid
adequate salaries, who have no other
occupations, and who will devote
their entire time to the trial and de-
cision of international cases by judi
cial methods under a scrse Of
judicial respon490ity
This was not then done as the ma
tions could not agree upon a method
for choosing the judges The covenant
of the League, however, provided for
this and later the Council of the
League created a committee of jur-
lists, on which was Elihu Root and
he it was who presented the plan for
selecting the judges. He urged a
joint choice by the Assembly and the
Council of the League, the little pow
ers having a check through the AS
scmbly and the big powers through
tho Council The project being ap-
proved was submitted to the nations
for ratification.
Among the judges chosen is John
Bassett Moore, former counselor of
our State Department, president Of
| the Pan American Society and one Of
our foremost jurists. Though he is
from a country which is not a men,
Der of the League it should be said.
and he has done so: 1.-THE judges are
not elected nor do they sit as citizens
O representatives of any particular
country. AS far as human nature
will permit they are expected to de-
eide impartially between|a all countries,
without favor or antipathy to
any," The court has been
ordained in the effort to create an
institution which should embody the
highest human ideal, that of peace
through justice, and particularly JUS
tice based on law"
The eleven individuals composing
this court are elected for term Of
nine years. It is court of law and
must base its decision on interna-
tional conventions. Or the general
principles Of law recognized by civ
ilized nations, rather than on any
kind of diplomatic negotiation, COM
promise or even arbitration. Eigh-
teen nations have already agreed to
give the court compulsory jurisdic-
ton over all disputes that may arise
between them.
The court must meet at least once
a year, June Is, and on call of the
president, who must reside perfna-
nently at the Hague and receives a
salary of $4,000.
The full list of judges is as fol-
lows:
Viscount Finlay, formerly Lord
High Chancellor of Great Britain,
and a member OF the Permanent
Court of Arbitration.
Andre Weiss, Member of the In
stitute of France. professor Of inter-
national law, jurisconsult to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and
member of the Permanent Court OF
Arbitration.
Commentators Dion:sio Anzilotti
professor Of international law at
Rome, and member of the Permanent
Court of Arbitration.
Rafael Altamira, Senator of Spain,
professor Of legislation and jurispru-
dence. anc one of the original drafts
men Of the Courts fundamental
statute.
Ruy Barbosa, Brazilian statesman.
lawyer and professor Ct international
law of Havana.
Max Huber, Honorary Professor OF
Public Law at the University OF
Zurich, and jurisconsult to the Swiss
Government in foreign affairs.
B. c. ]. Loder, member Of the Su-
preme Court of The Netherlands
and one of the craftsmen of the
Courts fundamental statute.
Didrik Galtrup Gjedde Nyholm. Of
Denmark, president of the Mixed
Court of Cairo. Egypt, and member OF
the Permanent Court Of Arbitration
Yorozu Oda, professor OF interna-
tional law at the University of Kyoto
Japan.
John Bassett Moore. former Coun-
sellor of the Department of State
Washington.