Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-27
DEMOCRATS BACK
COOLIDGE AGAINST
HIS OWN LEADERS
Pepper Plan, Reported, Di-
vorces Tribunal From
League of Nations

WASHINGTON, May 25.--An.
amended proposal for American
membership in the world court was
approved by the senate foreign rela-
tiouS committee and placed ON
the senate calendar, where it is Elk
pected to repose undisturbed during
the two remaining weeks of the SEES.
sion.
Acting just fifteen months to the
day after it received the membership
proposal of President Harding, the
committee reported by a party vote
a resolution requiring that Ameri-
can membership be conditioned on
amendment of the world court stat.
ute to divorce the tribunal complete
ly from the League Of Nations, ana
providing, in addition, that this
country reserve TO itself the Mon
roe doctrine and others of its
cherished policies.
The resolution was prepared by
Senator Pepper, Pennsylvania, who
said it was builded on the fOunda-
ton laid down by President Harding
and approved by President Coolidge.
On the committee roll call it com
manded the support of Chairman
Lodge and all of the Republican irrec- ,
oncilables but one, Senator john
son, of California, alone leaving his
party leadership to oppose it.
Democrats Oppose Plan
Senator Shipstead, of Minnesota.
the farmer-labor member, also sup
ported the proposal, but said he did
not approve it and would lay before
the senate shortly a peace plan OF
his own.
The Democratic members, standing
together, opposed the Pepper ph,k
and gave notice they would bring in
a resolution designed to follow mora
closely the recommendation of the
two Republican presidents. Their
proposal, which provides for the
reservations framed by Secretary
Hughes but not for amendment OF
the court statute itself, was voted
down in the committee, 10 to s, with
only Democratic senators and SEN
ator Lenroot, Republican. Wiscon.
sin, supporting it.
Senator Lodges plan for erection
of an entirely new court through the
agency of a new Hague conferences.
was withdrawn by it's author just
before the committee Endorsed the
Pepper plan by a vote Of 10 to 6.
Neither among the friends or
enemies of the court is there any
expectation that any resolution on
the subject can be brought to a
vote before the adjournment of con-
gress The Democrats probably will
seek to bring their plan UP for de.
bate in order to place themselves on
record before the country, but they
recognize that q final verdict by the
senate must wait until next session,
at least.
White House Silent
None of the Republican COMMITTEES
members who sponsored the commit
tee proposal would undertake to say
tonight to what extent it's details
conceded with the views of the prcsi-
dent, nor would White House Off
Gals enlarge in any way upon the
authoritative declaration of yester.
day that Mr.. Coolidge was standing
squarely upon the membership plan
as originally outlined by his prede.
cessor and commended by him last
fall to the favorable consideration
of the senate.
The Pepper amendments to the
co rrt statute, and the reservations
would strike out various references
to the league, and would provide for
equal voting power for the United
States and for selection of the
judges by a new international ma
chinery independent of the league
council and assembly. They also
would limit strictly the Jurisdiction
to which the country would sub
scribe.
Senator Swanson, Virginia, senior
Democrat on the committee and au
thor of the Democratic resolution.
declared in a statement tonight that
under the amendments required by
the majority proposal existing ma
chinery would be discarded and ex-
tensive changes made in the statute
of the court to which all signatories
of the protocol must consent before
the United States adheres."
Committees Report
In the committee report which he
is preparing, on the other hand, Sem
ator Pepper will assert that his res
olution follows without material
change the foundation described in
the messages of Presidents Harding
and Coolidge. it's Emergencies being
confined entirely to the expression
of the Hughes safeguards as amend
ments.
Senator Peppers view is that the
plan placed before the senate meets
all objections raised in that it per-
mits adhesion to the existing court.
provides method Of diSassociating
the tribunal from the League of Ma
tons and includes proposed reserva-
tions in such form that their eff
feet can never be questioned by any
otner court memrer.
Comparison Of the ma ority resoiu-
ton with the three plans submitted
to the committee will be made In
the majority report. with a view to
showing that the proposal of Senator
Lodge, Republican, Massachusetts,
would have entailed complete
scrapping of the existing court. that
of Senator Swanson would have
lacked one or more of the Hughes
reservations, and one drafted by SEN
ator Lenroot failed to make a com
plete separation from the league. No
action was taken on the Lenroot pro-
posa!.
Before his plan was brought up,
Senator Swanson amended it to
meet one OF the deficiencies seen BIZ
members of the committee. He pro-
posed to provide specifically that the
United States would not be bound
by any advisory opinion of the court
not given pursuant to a request in
which the American government had
joined.