The Washington times., 1924-04-30
STARTS
|. WORLD COURT
HEARINGS
Pepper Committee Witnesses
include Bishop Brent, Low
ell, and Barnes

include Bishop Brent, Low
ell, and Barnes
The Harding-Hughes world court
proposal, which has been slumber
ing for months in the Senate Com
mittee on Foreign Relations, came
upon the Senate stage again today
when a subcommittee headed by
Senator Pepper Rep) Of Pennsyl'
vania. began open hearings on the
project.
A large array Of witnesses favor
able to the court were present at
the opening session, and advocated
the United States promptly becom.
ing identified with the Geneva
tribunal.
Among these were Bishop Brent.
representing the Federal Council
Of Churches; Julius Barnes, Of the
United States Chamber Of Com
merce; George w. Wickersham,
former Attorney General; A. Law
renee Lowell, President Of Harvard
University, and a number Of others
representing peace societies and
church declarations.
Memorial From Churches.
Tho subcommittee is composed
Of Senators Pepper, Brandagee OF
Connecticut, Shipstead of Minnesota
Swanson Of Virginia and Pittman Of
Nevada. 1t will make a report
back to the full committee.
A memorial endorsed by many
church organizations was presented
to the subcommittee declaring:
1--WE profoundly believe the United
States should cooperate with other
nations Of the world In establishing
world justice and world peace.
I'VE believe all nations should
agree to submit to impartial tri
bunals all disputes that threaten
the peace Of the world, which they
cannot solve by the usual processes
Of diplomacy and conference.
Bishop Brent told the committee
"the people are ahead Of the Gov.
ernment in the matter of construc.
tive work for peace and are grow
ing increasingly impatient with
Congress. He described the Sen.
ate's treatment of the court as
'puzzling."
Above Party Politics.
TT IL : q matter above party
politics." said Brent. Friends Of
the court constitute a majority Of
the thinking citizens Of the coun.
try" he asserted, listing number
Of organizations with large mem.
berships that have Endorsed it.
James @. Macdonald, of New
York, representing the Foreign
Policy Association, told the CON-
mittee that joining the court would
not mean Joining the League Of
Nations, even though the league
formed the court and elects tho
Judges.
\ t'Secretary Hughes has devised
q very acceptable method Of deal.
ing with the situation through res.
ervations," he said, land the Sen.
ate should consent without delay"
Indorses Harding Plan.
In indorsing the Harding court
plan, Bishop Brent said the
churches were not satisfied to have
the proposal smothered under tho
tender care of Senator Lodge R)
Of Massachusetts,"
He declared that disarmament
conferences without parallel meas
ures to provide peaceful method
of settling international disputes
becomes a pale and spineless phase
Of pacifisn.'
II speak not as expressing mere
ly my own convictions as a citizen,
but chiefly as an ambassador rep
resenting a multitude Of citizens
who are Of one mind on Americas
adherence to the permanent court
OF international Justice and advo-
Gated by Presidents Harding and
Coolidge and pleaded before tho
American public with power and
.. "Tn other words, a measure or
iginally considered so important as
to call for wide publication by tho
chief leaders Of the Administration
and which caught the attention of
the ends Of the earth, by tacit con-
sent has been passed over for other
proposals which, however, import
ant, are little knwon to the coun-
ny uI AdAeOs OSNdLOT AOuSO Al uIS
apology for inaction damns the
court with faint praise"
Mandate From Nation.
'The world court idea, the bishou
said, was not a perfect lnstru.
ment," but "a step in the right
direction"
1.-THE mandate for this court
comes from the nation" he added
ut Is no longer the idea Of leaders,
but the program of the people"
The committee was in session ali
day, closing with brief statements
from spokesman for a score of diff.
ferent Protestant and Jewish con-
gregational bodies.
Among the other speakers urg-
ing acceptance Of Harding's pro.
posal were Barnes, Of Buffalo:
George Wickersham, Lowell. and
Samuel Gompers.
"The Ice-Box
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