Evening star., 1925-07-15
COOLIDGE FRIENDLY
Ito LEAGUE CAUSE
United States Is Showing In
| tereSt in Proceedings of
/ Geneva Conference.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

SWAMPSCOTT, Mass, July 15.-
President Coolidge exhibits the friend
liest feeling for the League of Ma
tions, even though it is a settled pol
Scy with him that the United States
shall not become a member.
Mr.. Coolidge's manifestations OF
friendship for the cause of interna-
Jional cooperation as eXempllfied by
the league, particularly with refer
ence to Europe, have come to the sur
face from time to time, but not so
pointedly as in the last "a hours.
when asked to comment on the sug-
gestions of Nicholas Murray Butler,
president of Columbia University.
After a visit to Geneva DIR. Butler eX-
pressed the opinion that the Ameri-
can minister at Bern should be au-
thorized to attend the sessions of the
league, so that America might be kept
closely informed.
At first it was reported that DR..
Butler had proposed that a special
representative be sent to Geneva, but
the President thinks this unnecessary.
1T appears, however, that DIR. Butler
referred especially to the use of exist
jng diplomatic machinery, so as to en-
able the United States to be on the in
side of conferences at Geneva.
Visits League Occasionally.
The situation at present is that the
american Minister to Switzerland
stays at the legation al Bern and
only goes to Geneva, the seat of the
1eague, occasionally, and when espe-
cially ordered to do so by the Depart
ment of State. 1t is not yet clear
whether the American Minister could
regard the Geneva institution as a
part of his regular duties in Switzer,
Ia mr. co
instruction from Washington.
This is really what it is supposed
here that DR.. Butler is recommend
ing. President Coolidge is represent
ed as feeling that this might be a wise
course, especially since at present
the United States gets its information
second and third hand, but he is not
prepared to urge a change in policy
unless it should become apparent
that the interests of the United States
are suffering by the present method
Mr.. Coolidge let it be known that
DIR. Butler would probably be sur
priSed if he could examine the records
in Washington and see how much in
formation about the league has really
been transmitted there by the Ameri-
can Minister to Switzerland and by
the league itself, which keeps up a
constant correspondence on all sorts
of questions with the various govern
ments of the world, non-members of
the league as well as members.
Interested i'm League
There was a time when, on account
of the hostility in the Senate, the
Department of State pigeonholed
many communications from the league
for fear of being criticized for "recog-
nizing" the league That stage
rS hnNXayar of
Secretary Hughes to regard the COM
munications from the league as
worthy of courteous attention, and
also with the sending by the United
States of delegates to the opium con-
ference and other gatherings called
by the League of Nations to discuss
humanitarian problems.
Slowly the American Government
has been getting closer to the work
really the outgrowth of the unof-
fetal observer" plan evolved early in
the Harding administration.
DIR. Nicholas Murray Butler is, in
fact, urging a more comprehensive
contact between the United States
and the league for information and
guidance, because in a place where
so many governments are represented
an extraordinary picture of what is
going on with respect 10 lIlleTHdllOIldl
cooperation can be obtained. Mr..
Coolidge feels that the matters of
public interest handled by the league
will receive the attention of the press
and therefore indirectly come to the
American Government. Time was
when the league officials complained
that American news agencies gave
Geneva scant attention. but this, too.
has changed, with the decision of
leading American press associations
to keep resident correspondents in
Geneva.
: So far as President Coolidge is con-
cerned, it is accurate to say that he
wants all the information for the
American Government about what is
being done in Geneva or elsewhere to
promote peace among the nations of
the world, and if the United States is
not getting enough data on what Is
being accomplished at Geneva, he will
ask the Secretary Of State to recon-
mend steps that will achieve that OBJ
ject.
Copyright. I925)