Evening star., 1923-06-22
World Court Modification.


President Harding's speech at st.
Louis, the first Of the series which he
is to deliver in the course of his trip
to and from Alaska, sounds clearly
the note of adherence to the proposal
that the United States join the world
court under restrictions and conditions
that keep it aloof from the league of
nations.
This speech, however. is not a chal-
1enge to the Presidents critics and op-
ponents in respect to the world court
plan. 1t is rather a move Of settle
ment and agreement, for it makes
even more ersphatically than hereto
fore a definite reservation against
membership or participation in the
league, and suggests, moreover, that
to be more fully satisfactory the world
court should be even further removed
than the present from the league.
The President sounds a personal
note when he says:
recognize the constitutional re-
ouirenent of Senate ratification. and
believe that the tide of public senti-
ment will be reflected in the Senate.
am so eager for the ultimate accom-
plishment that l am interested in
harmonizing opposing elements. more
anxious 70 effect our helpful commit
ment to the court than l am to score
q victory for executive insistence.
This is obviously an invitation to
those who have been named irrecon-
cilables in the Senate to discuss the
question with the view not Of a fac
tional victory in legislative procedure
but of adopting the wisest national
course
In short, the Presidents speech is
designed to prevent a split in the re-
publican party over adherence by this
country to the court. Without weaken
ing In his demand that the United
States participate in this court, the
President has now outlined far-reach-
ing and entirely new proposals to
divorce the court from the league of
nations. Apparently he has recognized
that, at a time when harmony in the
ranks Of the republicans is vital unless
the democrats are to be restored to
power, the world court has become an
issue threatening to split the former
party wide open. The opposition to the
court plan as originally proposed by
the President to the Senate has un-
questionably grown with the passing
weeks rather than diminished
There is much in a name. An inde-
pendent world court, for example, will
smell far sweeter to the irreconcilable
republicans than does the league
court" For the League court" is the
designation Of the Permanent Interna-
tional Court of Justice, Familiarity
known today as the world court. which
has been saddled upon that tribunal
by Borah, Moses, Lodge and other re.
publican leaders in the Senate. who
have in the past opposed every effort
to drag the United States into the
league Of nations. To go to the coun-
try with an appeal that the United
States adhere to the league court"
would be idle, in view Of the sentiment
existing here against the league. To
30 to the country with an appeal to
adhere to an independent tribunal.
divorced absolutely from the league as
proposed now by the President, Is a
horse Of another color.
The President has now proposed
that members Of the court continue to
be nominated by the Permanent Court
OF Arbitration at The Hague, and that
the members of the world court elect
the new members, instead of having
them elected by the league of nations.
He has proposed that the financial di-
rection Of the court be taken from the
league of nations and given to the
Court Of Arbitration or to a commits
sion set up by the nations adhering to
the world court.
The suggestion that the world court
be SO changed in its connection with
the league Of nations must be passed
upon by the members Of the league as
we'll as by the Senate Of the United
States. The President sounded a note
OF optimism in regard to the willing
ness Of other nations to accept such
plan. But whether world court
should be placed in a position to per.
petuate itself is a question that also
must be given nsideration.