Evening star., 1937-02-07
Root
Continued From First Page.)

exercise of the virtues that make
human character-mercy, compassion,
kindly consideration, brotherly af-
fection. sympathy with fellowmen, un-
selfish willingness to sacrifice for
Others"
When he was 81 years old President
Coolidge sent him to Geneva. The re-
suit was the Root-Hurst formula, the
co-author being Sir Cecil Hurst of
Great Britain.
That formula. promptly accepted
by other SignatorieS, but long debated
in the Americate Senate, gave the
United States the right to withdraw
from the Court without any imputa-
tions of unfriendliness or unwilling
ness to cooperate generally for peace
and good will if, after an exchange
of views, there was disagreement
with the American position in object
ing to request for an advisory opinion
from the tribunal on a question in
which the United States claimed in
terest.
Barrier TO U. S. Adherence.
1t was this reservation of a virtual
American veto on requests for advisory
opinions which formed the chief bar
r1er to American adherence to the
court. The Root Hurst formula broke
down European resistance to this res
ervation. but the opponent of the
World Court idea in this country ar
gued that the withdrawal clause null
lifted the veto power. Mr. Root COM
batted this viewpoint in a special
hearing before the Senate Committee
on Foreign Relations in January, 1881
For more than three hours on that
occasion he talked to the committee,
expounding the circumstances leading
up to acceptance OF the formula by
other powers. At times he pounded
the conference table with a vigorous
fist as he stressed the part that the
court could play in preserving world
peace. 1t was remarked that his men,
tality was as quick and his voice even
stronger than in his own days in the
Senate, 16 years before.
Mr.. Root helped to organize this
World Court, having been a member
of the International Commission Of
Jurists which, upon invitation of the
Council of the League of Nations had
reported the plan for that tribunal.
The scheme was adopted in 1921. Age
caused him even then to decline a
place on its bench after seven nations
had nominated him for the post.
He was given credit, too, for many
of the ideas embodied in the earlier
Court Of Arbitration at The Hague,
ideas which were developed by him
when, as Secretary of State, he made
over the fabric of American treaty re-
lationships to accord with his convic-
tion that among nations, as among
reasonable men, law could be made to
govern. Because of his part in this
world development ne was named in
1910 as a member of the arbitration
tribunal.
These worldwide recognitions of
his talents crowned a public career
which started with his appointment as
a Federal district attorney by Presi-
dent Arthur in 1883. But after two
years In that Office he went back 70
private practice and he had only
meager background of public service
when, in 1899, he was called to WASH
lngton by President Mckinley to be
Secretary of War.
This was on the heels of the Span
lsh-American conflict and he found
the United States Army rejecting the
effects Of the scandals which followed
criticisms of its administration in 1898.
'Embalmed beef" aromas hung over
the department, to say nothing of
popular indignation over the fact that
American REGULARS and volunteers had