Evening star., 1925-12-08
Continued from First Page.)

tences. He calls attention in his
opening sentences to the great pros
perity of the people and the country.
and in his conclusion warns that this
prosperity will continue only so long
as we shall use it properly"
President Coolidge's discussion of
the World Court and the proposed
adhesion of the United States to that
tribunal is calculated to allay fears
that this country is bartering away
any of it's independence by taking
such action. He declares that the
Court appears to be independent of
the League" He says that the
Court derives all its authority from
the statute and is so completely indie
pendent of the League that it could
go on functioning if the League were
disbanded.'' The authority of the
Court to give advisory opinions to the
League of Nations the President does
not consider dangerous to the inde-
pendence of the Court. NO provision
of the statute he continues, seems
to me to give this Court any authority
to be a political rather than judicial
court.
The reservations proposed by the
President cover the following ground:
That by supporting the Court the
United States assumes no obligations
under the league: that the United
States may participate upon an equal
itv with other states in the election
of judges: that Congress shall de-
termine what part of the expenses
the United States shall bear: that the
statute creating the Court shall not be
amended without the consent of the
United States. and that the United
States is not to be bound by advisory
! opinions rendered without its consent.
The first four reservations were orig
inally proposed and President Cool
iGge has added the last.
I'VE are not proposing to subject
ourselves to any compulsory jurisdic-
ton" The President continues, IF
we support the Court, we can never
be obliged to submit any case which
involves our interests for its decision.
Our appearance before it would always
be voluntary. for the purpose of pre-
senting a case which we have agreed
might be presented
Might Disregard Finding.
The President insists there is no
more danger that others might bring
cases before the court involving our
interests which the United States did
not wish to have brought, after this
country had adhered to the Court,
than if this country had not adhered.
! The United States would have the
same legal and moral right to disre-
gard such a finding in any case
brought before the Court against its
wishes.
The position of those who demand a
World Court fashioned after the ideas
| of the United States alone is assailed
by the President.
"If we are going to support any
court, 1t will not be one htat we have
set up alone or which reflects only our
ideals" he says. "Other nations have
their customs and their institutions,
their thoughts and their methods of
life. If a court is going to be inter
| national, it's composition will have to
yield to what is good in all these vari-
Gus elements. Neither will 1t be pos
sible to support a court which is eX-
| actly perfect, or under which we
assume absolutely no obligations. If
we are seeking that opportunity, we
might as well declare that we are op-
posed to supporting any court.
1T is difficult to imagine anything
that would be more helpful to the
world than stability. tranquility and
| international justice" the President
saws. He argues that the United
States should join voluntarily in this
court designed to foster these things.
He points out that, notwithstanding
all our independence. the United
States finally was forced into the
World War, and military alliances
during that war.
More at Stake Than Others.
I'VE have more at stake than any
other one else in avoiding a repeti-
ton of that calamity" he continues.
Wars do not spring into existence.
They arise from small incidents and
trifiing irritations which can be ad-
justed by an international court. We
can contribute greatly to the ad-
vancement of our ideals by joining
with other nations in maintaining
such a tribunal"
The President strikes body blow
lat those who propose the payment