Evening star., 1922-11-14
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 lnterna tiona ccurN of justice
| has aroused anew discussion of the
F., league of nations problem. Partisan
| ship rules supreme in most of the
discu ssion, although the majority of
editors see no harm in the Hughes
! suggestion. The Dayton News demo
| cratic) rather believes this is but a
preliminary step In the direction OF
| American admission to the league it
self" and suggests that "a step at
time is the way America is removing
itself from the splendid isolation
which Mr.. Lodge and others of his
! type have been boasting Of since they
made political capital out of it,"
| ut would appear that the desire Of
the United States government to oc-
! cupy seat in the permanent court.
suggests the Syracuse Herald lnde-
pendent), 'tand at the same time to
! hold calmly aloof from the great
/ league of which the court is no more
| or less than a judicial annex. will be
'
declaration is, in effect. complete in
dorsement of the view of the Phila-
delphia Public Ledger independently
that "the simplest way out OF the
anomalous position in which the
United States finds itself would be for
It to Join the league" Yet, because of
the conditions just described. the
Philadelphia Bulletin independent
republican, feels that the action of
this government proves that what IL
wants Is a change that will give this
country an adequate voice in the Sc
lection Of the judges and make the
court no longer a league annex, but a
really independent world court. With
good will on the part OF the present
members of the court such plan may
readily be evolved, and, with the ad-
hesion of this country, really inde-
pendent court has possibilities that
might easily dwarf anything that the
league, or any substitute association,
could offer a war-weary world rms,
in part. also is the belief OF the
Wilkesbarre Record (republican), which
argues that "those sticklers of aloof-
ness who have INDUCED their obsession
to the degree of mild mania need not
rise up in alarm over the proposed par
ticipation." because cit can live and
thrive without reference to other fea-
lures of the league"
Springfield Republican independently
feels, that the mother" of the court
Is the league and that Great Britain
has blown cold to any movement that
is not entirely indorsed by the league.
And the Republican further suggests
that ut is worth knowing. after all.
that a. great nation that was not
nearly SO keen as America for
league in the days when 1t was Gre
ated in the Paris peace conference Is
now, three years later. the ardent ad-
yocate of it without any division be-
tween political parties on the ques-
ther along, the Boston Post dnde-
pendent) feels that application Of
this government to name its own
representative to the court will be
recognition Of the league. And the
people will, we firmly believe, rejoice
to See such a sign of promise. AFTER
all, "the United States thus has the
right to claim this court as one of
its own contributions to the peaceful
settlement Of disputes" the albany
Knickerbocker Press independent
republican, Is convinced. and. in
joining in its operations, 1t Is carry
ing out one Of its own main poi1cies'
ment at Mr.. Roots acceptance of the
invitation of the Versailles confer
ence this step might have been taken
three years ago. Since then 1t mas
been necessary to reform public opin-
ion in its direction"
The Boston Christian Science Moni-
tor independently argues that "a
proper estimate Of the court must
define 1t as tribunal Of last resort,
whose logical province Is to deter
: mine, by arbitration, and to enforce
as matter Of right, that measure OF
nnal justice which will make any
future war among those submitting
to its jurisdiction Impossible. Natu-
rally such final determination, when
controversies arise. will, be passed on
from the league to the court. In such
process the prudent and cautious in
the United States see no menace to
national Institutions or traditions.
fThey $50 In Il only Q. hopeful sign OF
peace. Strange al this dinerence
should ~ tMixt tweedlednm and
|tN5esd3edee g 81 NA1ucin8 this 1atest
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