7 MARCH 1931, Page 2

The Mixed Arbitral Tribunals The Mixed Arbitral Tribunals set up

under Article 304 of the Treaty of Versailles have been on the whole successful experiments. There is no doubt about the success of the Anglo-German tribunal, the principal court set up in London. Having done its work it deserves some notice before it passes into oblivion. It is said to have settled 10,000 cases, suits mainly due to transactions entered upon before August, 1914, and broken off by the War. The vast number is only to be explained by the fact that one decision often covered a block of similar cases which did not need to be argued. Great praise is due to the first British Judge appointed, Mr. Roland Vaughan Williams. When the magnitude of the task was appreciated, the second court was created with Mr. Heber Hart as judge. These two would be the first to give credit to their German colleagues and to the distinguished Dutch and other neutral jurists who presided. That the tribunals have worked so smoothly from the first, is largely due to the ability and tact of the late Mr. Harold Russell who was the first secretary. The successful organization of so delicate a machine with no precedent to guide him was work of immense value in what the French called la liquidation of the War.

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