Evening star., 1924-06-12
PRESIDENT WINS
WORLD COURT PLANK
Stand Taken by Convention Be.
lieved Clear-Cut Victory
for Coolidge. Z
FACES FIGHT IN SENATE
Piibuster May Hold Up Proposal
at Short Session.
BY q. GOULD LINCOLN.
STAFF Coyypspsndent. Of The Star.

=
with such servations as those pro-
posed by the late President Harding
and Secretary Hughes and later re-
proposed by President Coolidge, II
the foreign relations plank adopted
by the Republican national commit
| tee means anything and the RApubli-
| can ticket is successful at the poIlsj
! in November
| Tne President won out in his fight
| Tor the inclusion of a definite, un-
| compromising Endorsement .of the
\ existing Permanent Court of Intcrna-
conal Justice and the proposed ad-
herence OF the United States under
the plan proposed by him.
| Now ne must fight il out with tbc
| Senate. In this latter fight he Will
be successful also, il is confidently
prediction. Not only will he have the
support of the majority Of his own,
| party in the Senate, but he will also
nave the support OF the Democrats of
| the Senate. with the execution of orn
! or two senator's The Senate. under
the Constitution. along with Inc
| president. is vested with the power
or dealing with the foreign relations
Or the country, Il requires a two
I
treaty or protocol
History of Protocol.
The protocol proposing adherence
! of the United States to the world
court. with certain reservations safe
guarding the United States from be-
| coming involved in the league of ma
tions, was sent TO the foreign rela-
tions committee of the Senate by thS
late President Harding There il has
slumbered. Recently the world court
proposal was revived. and resolu-
tion drafted by Senator Pepper Of
Pennsylvania and representing d kind
OF compromise between those who fa-
vored the entrance of the United
States into the world court and those
who were averse TO adherence to tho
present court was reported favorably
to the Senate.
The resolution was a straddIe. The
senators who supported il were an2-
ious that similar compromise prop
osftion should be included in the Re
publican platform.
President Coolidge and his support
ers have contended there should be n
clear cut. definite statement with re-
gard to the world court. Either the
United States should go into the
court or il should not. That is the
question as seen by the President.
There has been no thought of invotv-
| ing the United States in the league Of
nations. The league is an issue which.
| the President has considered closedA
1t is so stated in the foreign rela y
tions plank of the platform now ar-
proved
The President is going to the coun-
try in November on this issue along
with others.
Those senators who have been op-
posed 10 the plan - the President.
Ats xxthH in
Cleveland with the intention of hav-
ing included in the platform plank
which. as they said, should he broad
enough for all Republicans to stand
| together This spelled compro-
mise if carried into effect. But Presi-
| dent Coolidge shove ed himself sadly
| lacking in Willingness 10 compromise.
| And the plank now adopted Is the re-
| suit of his insistence.
johnson Efforts EaiIcd.
Senator Hiram johnson of CALI
| fornia campaigned for the Repuhli-
can nomination for several months,
| attacking the Coolidge administra-
tion and laying particular stress on,
the iniauities of the world court He
| found that the country was against
him. Even California, his own state.
/ instructed its delegates TO the con-
vention for Coolidge. The world
| court danger. which senator johnson
| laid before the voters. apparently had
| no terrors Tor them.
! In the committee on resolutions
yesterday senator Watson. member
| OF that committee, pleaded for COM
promise. for something that would, IS
he said. make it possible tT All inc
| Republican senators to approve the
foreign relations plank. There WAS
much discussion Of the plank ri
/ sorts were made by those whom SEM
! ator Watson represented to have M,
| cluded a phrase to the erect that me
| world court was tribunal to uhicS
4 we might go. but not be brought, out
| this was turned down.
| Watson Gets Angry.
The resolutions committee session
grew hot and heavy over the issue.
Senator Watson argued pleasantly
at first, found he was making no
headway and grew angry. He insist
| ed on having some quotations from
Coolidge speech included in the
| plank because he thought they would
| not make the plank read so plainly
| and bluntly in favor OF the court.
| But we're saying just what y"h
| want TO say. only saying II good
deal stronger" explained Chairman
| Warren of the committee. But final
| ly Watson demanded heatedly:
why are you SO anxious to have
| it read just your way, Warren?
| Because that is the way the Presi-
| dent wrote the plank, answered
/ Mr. Warren. calmly.
| The plank, as finally adopted. read. j
! The Republican party reaflirms its
| stand for agreement among the ma
tions to prevent war and preserve
| peace. As an important step in this
| direction. we indorse the Permanent
Court Of international Justice. and
| favor adherence Of the United States
| to this tribunal as recommended by
President Coolidge. This government
has definitely refused membership in
the league of nations. and to assume
any obligations under the covenant
of the league. On this we stand"
There Is nothing equivocal about
President Coolidge stands.
The world court proposal will not
come before the Senate until Con-
gress reassembles in December, unk
less Congress should be called to-
gether earlier in special session. That
will be short session, in which fill
clustering tactics may easily be used TO
block consideration of measures tn
which there may be strong opposition
The people OF the country have not
been widely interested in the world
court proposal. Domestic issues dur
ing the last six months have held
their attention. 1t may be that it has
been given undue prominence in the
| last week or two. If so, 1t was be-
cause the world court presented an
issue between the President and a
group of senators. some OF whom
| have withstood the President on
| other issues. The question has been,
| would President Coolidge assume the
leadership of the Republican party or
would he have to divide it. or even
| yield to what has been known as the
| Senate oligarchy.' In a measure
! the world court question has been
only one phase Of the contest for
leadership. The Republican party.