The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-08-01
DEMOCRATS REJECT COURT
IF DIVORCED FROM LEAGUE

So President Harding has killed the
league-founded and league-fed cort,
So we are assured by Senator King,
of Utah, and other Democratic lead
ers. They will not help him with it
any more. They will have nothing to
do with it. The thing is junked;
dead-as dead, we suppose, as the
president himself declared the league
of nations to be as an issue in Amer
lean politics. Thus the voice of Dem,
Ocratic patriotism. But it will be in
teresting to consider for a moment
why.
Obviously and undisguisedly, the
first reason why Democratic senators
will not interest themselves in any
step that the president may take to-
ward carrying out the long-estab-
lished policy of a real court of JUS
tice for the nations is that the presi-
dent has made it clear that such a
court must be quite independent of
the league of nations, and that our
participation in it must not be in the
slightest degree a step toward enter
ing the league. That does not suit
them. They have wanted this coun-
try to enter the court, because they
thought that thus it could be in
weighed into the league itself, by a
side door. But the president says no;
we may enter a court, but not the
league. Whereupon they say, Then
we shall not enter the court. No
league, no court. All they cared about
the court, apparently, was as a STEP
ping stone into the league.
Again, they will no longer interest
themselves in a court because Presi-
dent Harding insists that the one we
must enter be founded upon Ameri-
can principles. The safeguard of such
a tribunal, they pretend, would "cut
the heart out of the whole scheme,
and would be quite unacceptable to
the other nations. Precisely so did
they rage against the amendments
which it was proposed to make to the
covenant of the league of nations,
They would "cut the heart" out Of it
and it would not be accepted by the
other powers. We must "take it OF
leave it" just as it stood, without the
crossing of a 1T" or the dotting OF
an 81"
Well, we all know what happened
to the league, and why it happened
Imperiously told to take it or leave
it" the American people, with UMPIRE
cedented unanimity and emphasis, de-
cided to leave it; and they did. They
were not told to sign on the dotted
line" without having a word to say
about what they were signing. Ant
then what happened? The most au
~thOritative spokesman of the othet
powers made it perfectly clear tina
they would unhesitatingly and glad,
have accepted every one of thos
amendments which the covenanter
had told US they would not accept
and they are now proposing to adop
themselves some of the most radica
of these desirable amendments to tn
covenant.
Democratic senators may pleas
themselves about the matter. If the
want to consider any court for tn
nations as dead, and to refuse. to hav
anything more to GO with the effoI
to set up one in accord with on
American character as a nation, tina
IS their sweet and amiable privilege
Only, there will be no mistake and n
uncertainty as to their motives. The
are turning against a court simpl
because they are not sure of bein
able 10 keep the court linked up wit
the league. They will not assist
arranging our participation in an
court, because they cannot make thu
a step toward entering the leagu
They would jump at a chance
dragging US into the league, withol
any court; but the idea of participa
ing in a great world court of intern'
tional justice without getting mike
up in the league does not appeal
their patriotic and humanitaria
souls.-Boston Transcript.