Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-05-22

Boston, May 21-While Prof.
Manley o. Hudson Of the Harvard
Law School told the Unitarian Lay
mems League tonight that entry of
the United States into the world
court would be the first step toward
construction OF sound foreign pol
icy. Prof. John Dewey of Columbia
University asserted before the same
audience that the United States
should enter no world court until
international law had been amended
so as to outlaw war.
president Harding's court pro-
posal," said Prof. Hudson, follows
out the announcements Of the Re-
publican party for the last twenty
years. The record Of the Democratic
party is as clear. II there is one
feature of American policy which
has been constant for generation,
it is our insistence on the establish
mcnt of an international court for
the settlement Of disputes according
to law. That court is today in be-
ing. AS it now exists 1t is precisely
what the United States was working
for at the two Hague conferences and
did not succeed in getting ""'""
1.-THE United States can take the
action proposed by President Hard
| ing withol becoming in the slight
est way involved with the league"
Professor Hudson said that "Sena-
tor Borah and his group" complained
that the court did not have compul-
sorry jurisdiction, remarking that
his counsel of perfection should
not stand in the way of his support
! ing step which is clearly in the di-
| rection which he now desires" The
! United States, he said. could give
the court compulsory jurisdiction
over all disputes to which the coun-
! try was a party by accepting the
! optional clause for compulsory jur-
/ isdiction already accepted by twenty
| other countries.
Professor Dewey said that inter.
national law at present was based on
| the principle that war was a legiti-
mate final appeal for the settle
| ment of disputes and that the pres
ent International machinery was in
reality q wcr system.
| THE idea that this war system
can be abolished by taking steps
under the war SYSTEM" he continued,
us the greatest fallacy ever imposed
/ on intclli -ent persons. This method
Of steps at most only secured the
refinement of what existed before,
but the war system is being per-
| fected by all the means of science
with the rapidity and certainty of
which no gradual steps toward peace
can compete for a moment. Every
advance in history has come from
he adoption of a new method of APP
| proacch - -
This new method Of approach in
international relat tons has been sug-
gested by Senator Borah in his res
olution before congress. Senator
Borahs resolution provided for the
| establishment of a world court Cor
| the modification of some existing
tribunal if this were possible) which
should have affirmative jurisdiction.
| specified by the law and interpreted
! by the court. as in the case of the
supreme Court of the United States.
| The resolution further provided that
international law should be modified
| so as to outlaw war and to make
those who carry on war criminals.
THE objection to this suggestion,
namely that it would have no power
to enforce its decisions but public
opinion. is in reality an argument
in its favor. The United States Su-
| preme Court rests ultimately on
public opinion among the several
sovereign states +** - A court to
abolish war which is maintained by
| war would defeat its own n1lrnnse "