The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-10-09
EAVORS PERMANENT ........ =
COURT OF ARBITRATION
Republican Publicity Associa-
ton States Its Declaration
~ on Peace Maintenance

o. = Nv 860lnStO Ton, OcL. S.-1 edCe iii
the fundamentally OF permanent
: world court is acceptable as part OF
,.established Republican policy, de-
sclares the Republican Publicity Asso-
citation, thru it's president, Hon. JON
athan Bourne, Jr., in the following
statement:
,fEs,""In 1900 a republican senate and
a, republican president approved and
ratified the first Hague convention,
the object of which was to promote
, world peace. =. One section OF that
convention reads as follows: with
the object OF facilitating an imme-
date recourse to arbitration for inter-
national differences, which Is has
not been possible to settle by diplom-
iacy, the signatory powers undertake
to organize a permanent Court OF Ar
bitration.' That convention was
signed by no less than 26 nations,
and under it's provisions the Perman-
emit Court Of Arbitration was formed.
The Republican administration of the
United States proved its good faith in
its attempt to bring world peace thru
international arbitration by being the
first nation to refer case to the
court. Following the example OF Am
erica three other groups Of diplomats
referred their cases to the court. The
q real advance made-by the court in the
interest of world peace was recognize
cd. and a second conference met at
The Hague in 1907 to perfect its
Organization and revise some OF the
provisions OF the first conference. The
The Hague court did not prevent the
Great War, simply because Germany
was determined to have war no mat
ter how trivial the excuse which pre-
cipitated it. Z
1.-The Permanent Court Of Arbitra-
, tfon had demonstrated its value for
peace before the war had disrupted
its machinery, and before the league
OF nations was brought forth and
urged as a substitute. In THAT body,
said Senator Harding referring to the
court, we have the framework of 4
really effective instrumentality OF en-
during peace And it is upon that
framework that the new court is bas-
ed. When the Big Four in Paris
were writing their league covenant
they realized the potent force for
peace possessed by the Hague court,
and they knew that il their creation
was to be the superpOwer which they
Intended. it must include all the ma
chfnery for peace then in existence.
So the world court idea was appro-
priated from the Hague conventions
and transferred bodily into the lea
que covenant. 1t furnishes the only
hint of responsibility which that no
torious instrument possesses. Like a
rose among thorns, the sections of
the covenant dealing with arbitra-
ton before an international court
! stand out with startling disinctness
from the other sections which create
and endow with unheard Of powers
the ominous war board, politely re-
'ferred to al the council.
1.-THE league covenant Is a tWo-fac-
ed document. Certain sections de-
clare for peace thru ordinary arbitra-
ton. The rest OF the undertaking
processes to seek peace thru compul-
sion by force Of arms. Practically all
~ the criticism of the league OF nations
has been directed against those lat
ter provisions. None Of the so-cal1ed
Lodge reservations dealing with the
league make mention of those sec
lions relating to the creation Of a
permanent world court. Peace by
that method is accepted as part OF
established republican policy.
present critics OF the world court
idea as recently developed by Mr..
Root and his colleagues in Belgium
appear to base their antagonism on
the fact that it Is sponsored by the
league of nations. Such line of at
tack is sound only II we assume that
the United States is a member Of the
league and bound by all the obnox-
ious provisions Of the covenant. But
It must be remembered that American
participation in the court will be
only as the result Of treaty duly
ratified by the senate. which. of
Course, by reservation will eliminate
any features Of the agreement inici-
: oal to American independence of ac-
ton or national sovereignty. The
idea itself Is one to which we sub
scribed in giving assent to The Hague
,conventions, and strictly in line with
republican though and doctrine.
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