San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-29
WORLD COURTS
FATE IN HANDS
OF DEMOCRATS
Harding's Plea Has Not
Changed Single Sena-
torial Vote.
A PERPLEXING MATTER
President Is Convinced His
Plan Has Popular
ssss Approval.
A PERPLEXING MATTER
Nv RORERT T.. SMALL.

y tuauy all OF the senators, INC HleA
who hold the fate Of Americas en-
\ try into the world court in their
I hands, have been heard from, and it
i is realized here that President Hard
4 ing's forceful and logical presenta-
ton of his case in recommending adj
herence to the court has not changed
a single senatorial vote.
!, Nor it is likely that his further ap-
peals directly to the people will have
the desired effect.
y The essential fact remains, there
/. fore, that it is entirely up to the Dem
ocrab in the Senate and not the Re
!. publican irreconcilables, as to whether
i or not the United States shall be-
4 come q member of the court of inter-
national justice.
Z If the Democrats should fight solid
as a body for the court it would be
+ next to impossible for the irrecon-
8 cilables to block action in the long
session of Congress which begins next
December.
I A filibuster is a potent weapon in
y. q
comes to a constitutional close on the
fourth of March every other year, but
maintaining obstructive tactics over
session which can last anywhere
from six months to a year is a very
difficult proposition.
Democrats Favor Court.
At the moment the Democrats of
the Senate are DANGEROUSLY for the
court. During the next session Of the
Senate they will make long speeches
and many of them in favor of Amer
icas adherence TO the tribunal set
up under the auspices Of the League
of Nations. They will declare loud
~ and profoundly that President
Harding is right.
But while commenting the court
and the President for wanting 10 go
into the court. will the Democrats
WORK to bring the resolution of adher-
oncc to a vote!
Unless they forget party compefete-
ly. and already President Harding is
appealing to them with the plea that
MS is not party question at all, the
Democrats are likely TO sit back and
watch the warning Republican fac
lions battle it out, expressing at all
times their entire willingness to vote
ence, but leaving it to the Presidents
own political leaders TO bring the mat
ter to a climax.
This the Presidents friends and
supporters cannot do without whole
souled Democratic support. 1t re-
mains to be seen whether the Dem
ocratic senators will rise above party
, considerations and work without stint
TO put over a Republican Presidents
proposal.
1t will be remembered that former
President Wilson's pleas for non-par-
tisan consideration of the League of
Nations and the treaty of Versailles
twere met with loud outlaws at the
legislative end Of Pennsylvania ave-
y nue..
The world court proposition will
come up for consideration of the SEN
ate on the even of the presidential
campaign. This is distinctly unfor-
tunate for 1t.
By next spring the fires of partisan
ship will be burning with a white
hot fury and it is recognized even in
administration circles that it is ASK
ing a good deal of the Democrats at
q time like that to drop all party
matters, and selfish party considera-
lions, to help the administration SEN
ators to put over the most important
administration measure.
!! Two Sides to 1t.
If the Democrats could be convinced
THAT victory for the world court idea
lwould bring a serious split in the Re
.publican party, they naturally would
ltake off their coats and work for the
iadherence tooth and nail, figuring
that they were killing two birds with
iDne stone, doing a good act for the
nation and disrupting the G. o. Z.
for good measure.
But such split would be too doubt
full for them to take such a long
chance.
The Democrats have agreed upon
no other policy so far than to be
most fulsome in their praise of the
President for his bravery in sticking
10 the world court issue. They will
not formulate a definite policy until
the discussion of the court project
has run along for several months after
Congress meets in December.
The Democrats recognize that the
people of the United States are for
peace and for anything reasonable
which makes for peace. This fact has
clearly been established by the tele-
grams and letters Of congratulation
which have poured in upon the Pres
ident during the last three or four
DAYS.
The senders Of these messages seem
10 have realized what it meant to the
President TO come out as flatfootedly
as he did for American adherence 10
the league court. They seemed 10
have sensed. what is generally known
here, that the President in making
his New York speech cast aside
straight from the shoulder advice of
some Of his closest friends and po-
litieal advisers.
He had TO 20 against some of them
with whom he was most closely al
lied in the Senate and no one knows
better than he the bitterness with
which these same men can fight an
occupant of the White House when
they feel so disposed.
Harding Is Convinced
President Harding is convinced
that his court plan has popular ap-
proval.
The Democrats are likewise corr
WINGED, and they realize that al
though the President now is saying
that adherence to the court is not a