The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-04-26
New Way Is
Planned for
Court Entry
Suggestion Made of Substitut.
ing Ambassadors and Minis
lers to Hague and Brussels
for League Officials.
y. S. Action Apparent
BY MARK SULLIVAN.


Washington. d. c.. April 25.-liere
in Washington the common Judgment
about Hardings speech is that it IS
clearly the most challenging he has
ever made. 1t is not any stronger
than his address vetoing the soldiers
bonus. But what characteriZes the
present speech is the quality of de-
fiance. of standing by his guns, of
readiness to resist the critics and op-
pohents within his wn party and even
to carry the fighting into their terri
tory. This was not unexpected. Hard
ing has been good deal taunted late
6 ly with being too patient with his op-
ponents within his party.
Apart from Harding personally. See
retary Hughes is expected to make
a speech this week, and il is antici-
pated that he will be at least as clear
and firm as Harding was.
3 to the outcome, the present writ
er is strongly of the belief that there
will be a compromise, and that ulti-
mately theUnited States Will be in an
International court. not necessarily
identical with the present one. but
sufficiently changed to save the faces
of the league of nations haters. It
is obvious from Harding's speech that
he himself looks forward to these
changes.
In his speech he said: THE perfected
court must be matter of develop.
ment.' Also he said: The United
States does not propose to enter the
league, of nations now by the side
door, .he back door. or the cellar door.
The senate has so declared. the execu.
tive has so declared. the people have
so declared. Nothing could be more
decisively stamped with finaiity."
Changes Planned.
These two sentences point the way
10 the changes that will be made. All
the objections made to the court are
due wholly TO its connection with the
league Of nations. Practically no one
ventures to object 10 some kind of
court.
They all base their alarm On the
fact that the league of nations has
voice in the selection of the judges.
. There is a way by which this can be
obviated, and the attempt will be
made. To make this clear, it is neces-
sary 10 state briefly the present
method for the selection Of judges.
First of all, judges are nominated
by The Hague court of arbitration.
lnasmuch as The Hague court of
arbitration is not related to the league
of nations.- II is free from the phobia
which attaches TO that name. and
no one, therefore. objects to this nom-
mating part of the process. The NOM
inees proposed by The Hague court Of
arbitration are then finally elected by
he assembly and the council of the
league of nations. This is the thing
which is objected to by those who
are SO deeply suspicious of the league,
and will be attempted to be changed
Would Empower Ambassadors.
There is a practicable way of MAX
ing such change by substituting.
instead Of the assembly and the coun-
oil Of the league of nations. the am
bassadors and ministers resident at
The Hague or at Brussels Of the same
nations who are members of the
league OF nations. These ambassadors
and ministers can be organized into
groups representing ths great powers
OF the @orld and the smaller nations
In the same way. and with the same
balancing OF power between great ma
tions and small nations. as the council
and assembly of the league are or
ganized. This change would not be
much more than removing the act Of
elec1ing the Judges from Geneva to
brussels or The Hague, and substi-
tuting for the representatives of the
various nations in the league of na-
tions. the ministers and ambassadors
of these same nations who are resi-
!, dent at The Hague or at Brussels
OF course. to the friends OF the
league of nations, IL will look like
rather cavalier treatment to suggest
10 the league that 1t shall make this
change in order To accommodate the
preiudices Of some people In the
United States. II amounts to America
ssayng to the league something like
this:
After having created this court we
row ask you to disown it. to separate
it from yourself. 10 make it an Or
phan and wholly independent thing,
If you are willing to do this and make
The court a wholly independent insti-
tuition. with not relation to the league
OF nations, however, then the United
States would be willing TO join It.
tggsI auslISdoo