Evening star., 1923-04-05
WORLDCOURT LOST
IF NOT SOLD T0U.S
Friends Convinced Project
Must Be Put Over by Force
=. -. = =. =. full Methods.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.


Friends of the world court project
feel that it must be sold" to the
American people by prompt anu
forceful methods if it is not to be
lost. They rejoice that Secretary
Hughes is shortly to open the pro-
couro campaign. 1t is six weeks
Since President Harding launched his
pr9posal for American adhesion
Since then hardly, syllable in it's
behalf, barring the Secretary OF
states legal explanations to the Sem
ate committee on foreign relations. mas
been forthcoming from administra-
tion quarters. 1t has been left for
unofficial republicans like DR.. Mich
olas Murray Butler. and not many OF
them. and to republican and demo
cratic newspapers friendly TO the
enterprise. to popularize 1t. The most
enthusiastic support has come main
ly from democratic leaueTS, Dut, De-
cause of their known league OF ma
tiors' Views. approval from such
quarters is eagerly exploited by ire
concilable republicans for opposition
purposes.
No Time TO Be Lost.
Pro court Americans are persuaded
no time is to be lost by the admin,
istfation forces Republican and
democratci irreconcilables like Sena-
tors Hiram w. Johnson and James
A. Reed are already on the firing
line, determined to talk the PROPOSE
tion into premature disrepute.
Aided by powerful newspaper allies
in every section of the country, the ele-
ments that led in the fight TO keep the
United States out of the league OF ma
tions are plainly bent upon keeping
America out Of the world court by the
same methods. Just as they had the
advantage over President Wilson in yo-
oiferouSnesS and political cunning, there
is now grave danger they will wreck the
plans of President Harding because Of
his diStnclnation to fight flint with
Hint That at least, is the conviction
OF both republicans and democrats who
favor American entry into the court and
know the untruth of the charge that it
would mean Americas participation in
the league.
Country Getting Prejudiced.
Secretary Davis criticism that Presi-
dent Harding lacks craftsmanship"
never had more timely justification
than now. Here is the situation: Foes
of the world court are advertising their
hostility from the housetops. They have
undoubtedly got in the first blaWs Ii
the effect is to be undone there must
be counter attack of no less vigor.
The exact truth is on the side of the
world courts friends. But it is not be-
ing sold to the American people.
instead. they are getting hostile
and prejudiced assertions, masquerad-
ing as facts on the other side. John
son. Reed and their Confederates. in
a. way, have already put the court
proponents on the defensive. They
have taken the warpath with slogans
of a kind that sticks in the popular
memory. The innuendo that Prcsi-
dent Harding is smuggling the
United States through the back
door Of the league is planted in the
public mind 10 degree he may not
realize. Some intensive work in re-
buttal will be necessary to remove il.
kid glove methods" may not suf-
flee. Silence certainly will not. Even
Pepper Of Pennsylvania. in public
discussion of the World Court, are
damning 1t with faint praise.
Valuable Time Passing.
The presumption is that President
Hardings advocacy of the World
Court will be conspicuous in his
speechmaking campaign across the
before then. Senator Johnson will
soon be back from Europe with a
bagful of corroborated prejudices
about "entanglements." He is cer-
tain to renew the attack on the court
where he left off when he went away
in March. The courts friends think
the administration ought to take up
the oppositions challenge forcefully
and. above all, without delay
They would like to see men like
Hughes, Hoover. Taft. Wickersham.
Straus. Root and Butler sent to the
huStings TO talk about the tribunal.
not in legaliStiC phrases but in terms
of popular understanding. They would
like to see democratic leaders like
former Justice John II. Clarke, John
W. Davis. cambridge Colby, Hamil-
ton Holt and Atlee Pomerene join re-
publican spokeSmen in support of the
Presidents plans They see no rea
son why even Woodrow Wilson should
not be invited to lend his influence
to the court program. AS its sup
porters want its non-par tisanship
emphasized they believe 1t can be
done in no better way than to i'm
press leaders of both parties into its
advocacy.
Proposal May BE Doomed.
II something along these lines is
not resorted TO, the courts support
ers feel, the Harding Hughes pro-
posal may be doomed. That is seen
as it's inevitable fate if as at pres
ent. public discussion is left to ad-
Nocating foreigners, like Lord Rob-
ert Cecil and opposing Americans
Ike Johnson and Reed. The Presi-
dent has expressed his belief that an
overwhelming majority of the people
is for the court But millions of them
know very little about it, and that,
mostly, is ineXaCt and colored infor-
nation. The hour for some cour-
ageous "Barnum business for the
plan. in the house of it's friends is
unquestionably at hand.