The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-11-24
WORLD COURT PARTICIPATION MAY
LEAD TO LEAGUE MEMBERSHIP

!
The announcement by Secretary Hughes
| that he can "see no harm in the United
| States identifying Itself with the Interna-
| tionaI Court of Justice has aroused anew
] discussion of the League of Nations prob
! lem. Partisanship rules supreme in most
, of the discussion although the majority Of
editors see no harm in the Hughes sug-
gestion. The Daytona News, tDem.),
rather belives this is but a preliminary
stem in the direction of American adnis-
sion to the league ITSELF and suggests
| that "a step at a time IS the way Amer
| lea is removing itself from the splendid
! isolation which Mr.. Lodge and others of
/ his type have been bcasting of since they
| made political capital out of it.
; 1T would appear that the desire OF the
! United States government to occupy a
/ seat in the permanent court" suggests
! the Syracuse Herald, (Ind), land at the
same time to hold calmly aloof from the
! great league of which the court Is no
mere or less than a judicial annex, will
be rather difficult Of realization" Which
! declaration is, in effect, complete en-
! dorsement of the view OF the Philadelphia
, Public Ledger. Qnd.l, that "the simplest
way out of the anamolous position in
which the United States finds itself would
be for 1t to join the league" Yet, because
| Ct the conditions Just described, the
Philadelphia Bulletin, Qnd. Rep), feels
! that the action of this government proves
! that what 1t wants Is a change that will
give this country an adequate voice IN the
| selection of the judges. and make the
court no longer league annex but
really Independent world court with
| good will on the part Of the present mem
| bers CT the court such plan may readily
| be evolved and with the adhesion OF TINS
country a really independent court has
possibilities that might easily dwarf any
thing that the league, or any substitute
association could offer a war-weary
world" This in part also is the BELIEF OF
the Wilkesbarre Record, (Rep), which
argues that those sticklers of alcofness
who have INDUCED their obsession to the
degree of q mild mania need not rise up
in alarm over the proposed participation,
because eft can live and thrive without
reference to other features Of the league.
1t cannot however, be denied, the
Sprfngfieid Republican, Ond.). feels, that
the mother of the court Is the league
and that Great Britain has blown cold
to any movement that Is not entirely en-
dorsed by the league. And the Repuo-
ncan further suggests that 1t is worth
knowing, after all, that a great NOTION
that was not nearly SC Keen as amer
Tea for a league In the days when 1t
was created in the Paris peace confer
ence, is now. three years later, the ar
dent advocae Of it without any division
between political parties on the question.
Carry this suggestion further along, the
Boston Post Und.) feels that "applica-
, ton Of this government to name It's own
representatives to the court will be a
recognition of the league. And the people
viii, We firmly believe, rejoice to see
such 8 sign Of promise" After all, the
United States thus has the right to claim
this court as one CT is own contributions
to the peaceful settlement Of disputes,
the Albany Knickerboker Press tlnd
Rsp) Is convinced, ana ''tn Joining "a ITS
operations It Is carrying ont one Of It's
own main policies. But for President VIII
son's resentment At Afr. Roots acceptance
OF the invitation OF the Versailles CONFER
ence this step might have been taken
three years ago. Since then it has been
necessary to reform public opinion in itsI
direction
The Boston Christian Science Monitor.
IndD. argues that "a proper estimate
q the court must define il as tribunal
Of last resort whose Iosical province isl
70 determine. by arhit:s ton. and TO en-
forcs as q matter Of right, that measure