THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 89, 5 August 1914, Page 4

THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague—The Hague Tribunalis the most important outcome of the world's peace movements. Though not, unfortunately, likely to be requisitioned at this juncture, something about it may be of interest. Whether it may develop some day into an institution powerful enough really to settle burning international questions, the future will show. At present, it can only provide machinery for peaceful settlement; it has no power. The establishment of the tribunal was in 1899, as one of the results of the peace conference callled in that year, by the Czar of Russia, at The Hague. Sixteen of the Powers which attended this conference signed a Convention, by which Hie tribunal was established. There ha s since, in 1907, been a second Peace Conference, attended by representatives of 44 Powers, and at which certain questions of international law were agreed to and codified. A third conference is to. be held three years hence—in case all Europe should not then be at war. Each of the fortyfour nations which attended the second Peace Conference is entitled to appoint not more than four representatives, and all these together make up The Hague; Tribunal. The appointments are made for six years,, but may be renewed. When contending countries are willing to refer a dispute to arbitration, they each choose two arbitrators, usually from the list of members of the court, and if the four together cannot agree upon an umpire, machinery is provided by which one may be chosen for them. But there is, of course, no means of persuading angry nations either to arbitrate or to submit to the results of arbitration. They will usually only submit disputes on minor matters. It may be mentioned, also, that a proposed meeting of The Hague Peace Conference, in 1904, had to be postponed because of the Russo-Japanese war. The court meets in the Palace of Peace, which was opened last year. This building was erected mainly at the expense of Andrew Carnegie, though each, of the nations interested contributed to its embellishment. A number of cases have already been tried, and decided, and others are pending.