Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-01-10

case ready to report TO the tribunal Dy
the first day OF the year. There seems
TO be a misunderstanding In places
concerning the nature and the duties
Of the commission which Will pass
judgment upon the validity OF the
claims Of American citizens against
the German government because or
acts growing out of the state of war.
The commission consists OF an Amer
lean appointed by the President of the
United States and German appointed
by the president OF the German re-
public. The Germans asked Presi-
dent Harding 10 name an umpire who
should decide cases IN which there
might be a disagreement between the
two commissioners. He appointed AS
sociate Justice William X. Day OF the
Supreme court OF the United States.
who has resigned from the bench TO
give his whole time To his new duties.
Is there not something curiously
ironic In the fact that the American
commissioner, Robert c. Morris, who
Is giving nis time and energy 10 the
work OF collecting money for Ameri-
can citizens from the German gov
eminent, is a llneal descendant Of the
Robert Morris OF Revolutionary days,
who impoverished himself for the col
onies In order that they might have
money TO carry on the war and secure
their liberties. and yet who was never
reimbursed one cent by his country
men, and whose heirs never were able
so much as TO get consideration for
their claimsf
No Claims by Germans.
Germany has no offsetting claims TO
make against the United States. The
commission will give consideration
only TO claims against Germany made
by American citizens. In the peace
treaty the German government
acknowledged liability for the general
class OF cases which VIII be Brought
before the commission.
The Lusitania cases are perhaps the
most humanity interesting or all the
matters which will be taken up for
adjudication. A great many American
citizens lost their lives when, contrary
10 the law OF nations, the Germans
sank the Lusitania. There Is nothing
In international law or In national law
which can be used as a precedent for
fixing a sum as proper payment for
the loss OF a human life. So II Is
that when payment is asked for the
heirs OF some one killed on the Lusi-
tania there is nothing definite upon
which a price can be fixed.
Several plans have been offered TO
meet the difficulty. Ii Is possible that
the yearly earning capacity OF per-
son who was killed may be used as a
basis. Then the age Of this person
would be taken into consideration, and
with IL his prospect of SO many years
of life as given by insurance tables.
His earning capacity for one year may
be multiplied by the number of years
which he was likely 10 have lived had
not death come TO him as 1t did, and
the sum total may be taken as the
amount due TO his heirs.
OF course. In the case OF children or
OF women who were not engaged In
gainful occupations. the plan proposed
cannot be used. Many different meth
DDS OF meeting these difficulties are
under consideration.
Hundreds Of Millions Asked.
Something like 1900 claims already
have been presented TO the commission
BY persons who lost, or think that they
lost. something az the hands Of the
Germans during the war. Claims are
stIn coming I'm rapidly. Already IL Is
said that they amount TO some $780,
100000. Some OF them, OF course, will
be disallowed and probably some Of
them have little or no foundation In
reason. but It viii be a large sum OF
money which eventually viii be paid
over by Germans 10 Americans who
suffered from acts OF war that were
contrary 10 the rules of the game.
Hundreds OF the cases which have
been brought are similar in nature.
Therefore Commissioner Morris, with
his assistants, is taking out Of each
group Of similar cases one outstanding
case which seems TO be typical OF the
others, and of this test case win be
made. This viii reduce the work ma
terlally. when the German commits
sioner and the American commissioner
are In accord on the validity of claim
and on the amount OF compensation 10
be fixed. the case Is ended; but when
they disagree. the case can be ended
only after a decision has been rem
dered by the umpire, Judge Day.
The commissioners were appointed
last August. and under the law they
we're compelled TO hold a meeting with
I'm two months. The meeting was held
something more than six weeks ago.
and since that time the American end
OF the commission has been hard at
work with the secretaries, attorneys,
l.