New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-28
Supreme Court of
Nations Is Urged
By Sutherland
Former Utah Senator De-
clarcs Hague Conference
Principles Safer Project
Than a League of Nations

Some Of the difficulties which, in his
opinion. stand III the way of success
full League of Nations were outlined
by former Senator George Sutherland
of Utah, in an address last night at
Columbia University. The address is
the eighth aud last of a series of Blu
mcnthal Foundation lectures which
Senator Sutherland has delivered under
the general title Of Unconstitutional
Power and World Affairs
Senator Sutherland believes that an
the long run We shall secure better and
more lasting results by gradual OK
tension of the principles and plans
already initiated by the Hague Confer
ence than by adopting the more ambi-
Nous and adventurous league Of ma
lions. lie finds the factors, administra
tive machinery and cross currents Of
international interest so varied and in
definite as to surround the entire pro
poSal with an atmosphere of the gravcst
doubt
Some Of the questions asked by the
speaker are: "How is the power of
the league to be distributed? How are
the military forces to be made up and
and under what direction are they TO
be operated? II we bind ourselves to
JOIN with other nations in raising and
oquipping military forces to cocrce and
punish rcbellious and disobedient mem
bcrs OF the league. what will happen
in the not impossible event that the
sympatnies of our people are with the
recalcitlant member'9'
Military Combination Involved
"rhc plan for league Of nations"
SAID Senator Sutherland. really in
wolves a military combination pledged
to make war upon any member Of the
league who begins hostilitics against
another member without first submit
ting the DISPUTE to arbitration. 1t is
''o' - y, i'oS'H Nv - 0'',''c' q, "''uI'
the use Of military force, though it
does not seem Illogical TO conclude that.
such an extension of the proposal must
inevitably follow. It is this feature of
the plan, thought by some to be its
suaded viii prove its fatal weakness.
I'm the first place it is not always
easy TO determine who 5 responsible
for commencing hostiities. 1t is vain
also to imagine that the formation of
the league would put an end to the an
tagonisms which divide some nations
and the common interests which unite
others. Sooner or later case will
arise whore an attempt TO use the in
telnational forces against one party or
the other viii meet with internal re-
sistance so serious that either the at
tempt viii be abandoned or something
bers of the league will supervene. In
the former event the experiment would
fail ingloriously. and in the latter event
ingloriously and disastrously; and be-
cause Of the magnitude Of the interests
involved the failure would arrest tho
movement in the direction Of world co.
operation for peace for MANY vears 70
come
hague principles Advocated
"Nore eatisfactorv roenltr = soor,.
10 mo arc ~ ho oh;o;nod ~, fo1,n ove'r'S
and extending tho n,.inr;nios alrcady
enuncjated nv rho uag1e Confero ,ol'''
Great and Valuable nrorrces has al.
ready been made Thar has hoon
constantly GROWING d;snoei+;on N e,h,
nit International differences IN arh;-
tratjon. Certain veakneseos boun,,o,
should he eliminated and o,.teno;on
made in two direct;o1e. IN nv. Lroad
ching the scone Of tho inriediction and
(2) bv substituting for ne nroson.
arbitral tribunal roal ;nterpa+;onal
court with iOHicia n ,,ovoy
a Provision shan1d no oao s.,.
subm;tt;no al ,,,,asti "+" , ''aue 10
nature bv roasnn If tbo;r q 5o;,s W. "a a0
ccntihlc of ,oc;e;ao Nv, ~ ne.ns aus
of the n,incinlos Of ,,u ~. l"''o''
I'm othor ,vords .ho ;.;.I;ot;e OH'''S ,,
furnished NV tIo f,'iI' Y.o,'a' ,el
tho Taf, ad,,,i,;9t,..l: C"t rs 81
adoptad As alroad,. ,,o;n+1,d n',.
cxception Of cases ;nvaI,.;,o NV; sme
of honor ANA ,'tai ;nto,',t t's quos 'loI
nnnacossor,, hut ,,,; '.'Jo, 10 io' o'''y
ne constitution and practice of our
striking and sufficient moot of H.
entire Feasibility of thn ei,oooc+od +os+
The distinction between judicial ones
tons which the court has novcr 70 do
termnc and political Questions which
The court refuses to entertain has Neon
clearly established.
"2. The great weakness of the urcs-
emit plan is that international contro-
versics arc submitted not tn =. conT+
bound by legal rules. but To q boord or
arfbtrators selected bv the onnosing
parties and who. therefore onteI ,, no
the trial of the cause not as so r mpu,,
judges but as so MANY advocatcs "' The
result is not Judgment for one side or
the other, accordiny to strict riyht but
a compromise more or less unfair and
unsatisfactory to both sides. In the
place OF this tribunal there is no rem
son why VIC should not. as our govern
ment has heretofore insisted. provide