Evening star., 1924-12-07
BORAH S|DETRACKS
WORLD COURT TALK
Wants Farm Relief LegisIa.
ton Ahead-Democrats
May Oppose Policy.

While anxious to bring the World
Court proposal before the Senate,
Chairman Borah of the foreign rela-
tions committee declared yesterday
that he was unwilling to put discus
sion of that long-pending issue ahead
of farm relief legislation
In the first formal statement issued
since his Elevation to the post SO long
held by ths late Senator Lodge, the
Idaho Senate. said that to pass the
the remainder of this short session
in discussing the World Court and
kindred questions. adjourn and go
home for a year without doing any
| thing on domestic legislation would
i be unfair and unjust to the people,
who sent us back here"
Senator Borah's personal judgment
is that there can be no final action
on the court at this session, because
Of the press Of other business. He
said that it would take some time
| to work out program which would
divorce the court from the League Of
Nations and that. speaking for him
self. it was vital that this be done
Democrats Want Action.
Senator Swanson of Virginia, the
ranking Democrat on the foreign re-
lations committee, and other propo-
nents of American adherence to the
World Court are preparing to press
for decisive action before this Con-
gress expires by limitation next
March 4. They believe President
Coolidge's recommendation for a res
erSation under which the United
States would not be bound on ques-
tions of a domestic nature not volun-
tarily presented to the court will op-
crate to remove much of the objection
to the court proposal in the Senate.
Even these Senators are convinced.
however, that there will be a pressure
of a determined character for domes-
tic legislation. and in view of the
fact that the annual appropriation
bills have the right of way, they are
not oversanguine that the court issue
can come to a vote at this session
II am quite willing as chairman to
help" Senator Borah said in discuss
ing the proposal to call up the court
matter from the Senate calendar,
where it was placed at the last ses-
sion. Indeed, 1 am anxious to bring
before the Senate the World Court
just as soon as the appropriation bills,
which have the right of way, and
agricultural legislation have been
disposed of. 1 am not willing per-
sonally to put the World Court dis
cussion, which will be prolonged,
ahead of agricultural legislation.
ITO pass the appropriation bills and
.. then spend the rest of the short ses-
sion in discussing the World Court
and kindred questions, adjourn and
go home for year without doing
anything on domestic legislation,
would be unfair and unjust to the
people who sent us back here and in
violation of every pledge made by all
the political parties in the last cam
paign.
1T will take some time to work
out a program which divorces the
World Court from the league and
make it an independent judicial body.
And, speaking for myself, it is vital
that we do that. 1 have favored for
20 years a World Court. But I would
regard the effort to establish an eff
fective judicial tribunal as wholly
fruitless If such a tribunal were lek%
SO that it would inevitably be drawn
into International politics. When I
vote for a World Court 1 would like
to feel that 1 have voted for some
thing that will be an aid to world
peace" ..