The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1922-11-02
j. s. INTENDS To
Be INDEPENDENT
LEAGUE NATIONS
One Of Considerations Government
Has In Mind as Harding and
Hughes Negotiate 10 Get
World Court Membership.
MUST GET POWERS TO
AGREE AS TO CHANGES
Hughes Favors Adherence to World
Tribunal In Some Form. but
VIII Fully Protect Policies
OF Government In Move.
py A. L. BRADFORD.
United Press staff Correspondent

Copyright. 1929, by United Press.)
Washington. Nov. 2.-The United
States intends 10 remain independent
Of the League OF Nations.
This Is one OF the prime consid.
eratlons that this government has IN
mind as President Harding and Sec
relary OF State Hughes are conduct.
ing negotiations designed TO make
America an official party to the per.
manent court Of international justice,
commonly known rs the World court.
Before the United States will become
a signatory power 10 the World court,
Secretary Hughes must secure an
agreement OF the powers, members
of the League OF Nations and the
court. to such changes and modifica-
tions In the protocol Of the court as
will assure American independence
Of the league. Il Is believed In well
informed qnHc,ers here.
Even so, the negotiations which
Washington has initiated for making
the United States an official member
OF the World court are already being
interpreted and probably will con-
tinue to do so. as at least moral
victory for the League OF Nations
principle and as an evidence OF this
country relenting in its attitude Of
strict. aloofncss from the concert Of
nations represented in the league.
Even after an agreement may be
reached with the other powers for
the membership Of the American
government in the World court, the
proposed adherence Of the United
States to the protocol of the court
must be ratified by the senate, as is
the case Of any treaty arrangement.
This, of course, is being taken fully
into consideration by the president
and Mr.. Hughes.
1t was not long after the Harding
administration came into office that
the question of the United States be-
coming a member of the World
court came to the fore in the atten-
tion Of Secretary Hughes. In answer
to heckling from abroad because Of
alleged disregard Of invitations for
this country to become a member of
the court, Hughes attitude was ex-
planned as follows That while for
NAL invitations had been received,
this government couldn't take any
action such as becoming a member
of the international court unless it
had treaty authorization from con
gress.
The World court is admittedly "a
child" Of the League of Nations. It's
creation was provided for by article
ii Of the league covenant. The name
League of Nations" Is scattered
throughout the text Of the protocol
of the court. The judges Of the
court are elected by the council and
assembly of the league.
1t is interesting to note that a
provision of the text of the protocol,
through reference to article II of
the league covenant contemplates,
in effect, in cases of countries not
members of the league, that they
be invited to accept the obligations
of membership in the league to be-
come members of the court, or to
have the court opened to them on
certain questions
The secret has long been out that
Secretary Hughes favors the adher-
ence of the United States to the
World court in some form or an
other, and it is confidently believed
that he can secure an agreement on
an arrangement to this end, but will
thoroughly protect the interests and
policies of the government.
1t is recalled that Elihu Root was
one Of the principal drafters of the
project for the World court. His
advice is expected to be of the
greatest value in the present nego-
tiations, and it is believed probable
that Root has in mind the eventual
membership of the United States
while he was engaged in helping to
write the constitution of the court.