Evening star., 1926-04-23
HUGHES SEES PEACE
WITH WORLD COURT
Defends Reservations in Talk
Before Congress of Inter-
national Law Society.

statesmen from all parts of the
country, Charles Evans Hughes,
former Secretarv of State and presl-
dent Of the society, declared Whole-
hearted support for the World Court
denied that American adherence
would mean connection WIN t,le
League of Nations, defended the
senate reservations as wholly just
and described prospects for interna-
tional peace as brighter than q year
ago.
Mr.. Hughes spoke last night at
the Willard Hotel. where the meet
ings are being held. before nearly 300
members of the society and num-
ber of foreign diplomats and gov
ernment officials.
This morning the congress plunged
into study Of means and progress In
the coditiCatlon Of international laws,
treaties, uniform legislation, declara-
tions and persuasive influences IN
round-table discussions. with Jesse
S. Reeves of the University of Michi-
gan presiding. This afternoon Ellery
G. StoweL Of American University
will preside over n discussion of natu-
Talization and related problems.
Alien Property Law Traced.
1!r. Hughes was followed last night
by Clement l.. Bouvc of Washington,
who traced the development of inter
national law regarding prohibition of
ContiScatiOn of alien property by war
ring nations. Fostered by the United
States Mr. Bouve declared, q code
of such international agreement was
almost universally recognized before
the World War.
There seems, to my mind, he said
"tO exist every reasonable ground for
the conclusion that long before 1899,
the date of the first Hague conference.
the rule had been universally accepted
among civilized nations that private
property is exempt from confiscation
in time of war" He quoted from
many treaties and legal decisions to
Substantiate the point.
NIr Hughes won hearty applause
with his spirited support of the World
Court.
Tracing the development of nations
in trying TO find a solution of differ
ences other than war. Mr.. Hughes
said:
Better Than Arbitration.
MANY persons do not realize that
Permanent Court of International
Justice, with learned judges of ap-
proved character and independence,
set apart to give their lives to judicial
service, will afford a far more salts
factory recourse for US than the
ordinary arbitral method. 1t is not
realized that establishment of per-
manent court is in our own interest.
The World Court, Mr.. Hughes con-
cludes, is the logical development OF
all the arbitration schemes, Hague
conferences and other attempts to
outlaw war. Success Of the World
Court, he declared, lis of vital i'm
portance to the cause Of peace. That
success will depend upon the conf
dence its work inspires. That con-
fldence will be measured by the
strictness with which the court ad-
heres to the judicial function and is
deemed to be free from all political
entanglements."
referring to the Senate approval
of American participation in the
court, Mr.. Hughes said:
Not Agent of League.
The most serious objection was
that the court is not a true judicial
institution, but is an agency of the
league-a mistaken view, as the
statute establishing the court safe
guards it's independence and its judi
cial functions. What seems to have
been lost sight Of by many is that,
however opposed to joining the
league we may be, the nations who
are members of the league are still
nations with whom w must in any
event collaborate if we are TO have
permanent International court.
We cannot set up such a. tribunal
without them; there is no hope of set
ting up another one. 1t should be
apparent that we must either aban-
don our historic policy and forego the
advantages of a Permanent Court or
International Justice or support and
assist in safeguarding the one which
has been established. If we are in
favor of such an international judi
cial institution, our Weighty influence
should be eXerted to maintain 1t.
Reservations attached by the Senate
to American adherence to the court
ARE final" Mr.. Hughes declared.
Can't Modify Reservations.
NO one has any authority to
modify them or to explain them away.
They speak for themselves. In provid-
ing that we shall not assume obllga-
tions under the covenant; that we are
to have the right to participate in the
election OF judges; that we are to bean
share of the expense; that we may
withdraw our adherence at any time,
and that the statute establishing the
court shall not be amended without
our consent we are making conditions
to which it would seem no just eX-
ception could be taken"
Lack of understanding of the func
tions of the court is the cause of the
distrust of those who oppose Ameri-
can entrance, he said.
Mr. Hughes also discussed the Io-
carno agreements, codification of inter-
national law and disarmament.
The Locarno spirit he character
ized as mot so much evidence of the
triumph OF optimism as a revelation
of disillusionment." and declared that
economic arrangements similar to the
Dawes plan, ''if they could be de-
vised for troubled areas, would do
more than any thing else to dispose
peoples to stop thinking in terms Of
war"
War Needed for Plan.
Prior to 1914 the world was not
ready for such a conciliation plan as
Is provided under the Locarno tt eaties,
he said adding:
'It required a great war to convince
peoples of the futility of war; to dem
onStrate that overpowering narlonal
ambition leads to overwhelming dis
aster: that security does not lie in
heaping up arms: that if the var is
great enough and long enough, victory
means defeat, and that debating terms
NO EXAMINATION
TX nm LIFE, Life $A0.N