THE REDLICH APPOINTMENT

The appointment of Joseph Redlich, Harvard Professor of Comparative Law, to the Hague Tribunal has recently been announced. Because of his previous training and his recognized ability the choice seems a particularly happy one. He was, at one time, an official in the Austrian Imperial Government and after the war, he was prominent in the politics of that country as minister of finance for the republic. He is well known in this country as an historian and as the able biographer of Franz Joseph. Some years ago he came to Harvard and now holds the position of Professor of Comparative Law at the Law School. He is also a leading figure in the Institute of Comparative Law which is doing research work in an attempt to reach a greater unity in the law codes of the various powers.

The appointment of such a man to such a position deserves more than a perfunctory gesture of recognition, for the judges of the World Court are devoting their abilities to the task of furthering the difficult cause of international peace and justice. Such men are too frequently passed by, while the destructors of their work receive the world's attention.

Aside from the personal honor that this appointment brings Redlich, it also carries with it recognition for the Law School. The success and prestige of such an institution depends on the ability of its faculty, which in turn is largely judged by the position of its men in public life.