Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-20
RENEWAL OF COURT
| DEBATE FORESEEN
Failure of u. S. to Send Dele
gate to Geneva Expected to
[ Have That Result.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Although the League of Nations is
teore or less dormant in America, 1t
still is a source of embaras sment to
The administration here and will be-
come more so as September APP
Hroaches and the assembly meets at
Geneva
The American Government is deeply
tnterested in many things that will
occur at the September meeting. Sec
Setary Kellogg anticipating the dis,
CuSsionS that will ensue as to the
value Of a disarmament conference,
gave expression to the views Of the
Omitted States Government long enough
an advance so that they would not be
construed us having any connection
with the September meeting. Also,
the problem of handling the World
Court protocol reservations is under
consideration and while an official
representative Of the American Gov
eminent will not be present to answer
questions as was requested there may
be an unofficial observer to report
what is said. Even this is fraught
with the greatest delicacy as the
presence of an American observer
may be miscOnstrued by the irrecon-
Cilable element on this side of the
Atlantic and heretofore the Coolidge
administration has shown great fear
pf the REPRESENTATIVES,.
Senate Point Is Needed.
Strictly speaking there is no law
(which would prevent an official repre-
sentative from attending the confer
ence of the nations which seek to
have explained what the American
Senate's reservations to the World
Court really mean. But the Senate
having indicated that the reservations
Should be accepted by diplomatic note,
the Department of State Is assuming
that 1t is prevented from oral discus
eiOns by its own ambassadors and min
tsters. This position is being main
Gained with difficulty because the
Sarious governments are truly puzzled
by the meaning of some of the reser-
Vations IF the United States should
fail to explain, then it is likely the
Foreign powers will accept the reserva-
tionS with a statement Of what they
understand to be the meaning.
Then the problem will be transferred
% the President and Secretary of
State once more. and they, in turn
tnay call upon the Senate to decide
whether the Interpretation of the
other governments is correct. In any
World Court debate. with the chances
quite remote that the United States
will get into the World Court this year
before the congressional elections and
possibly not before 1928.
League Structure Menaccd.
Meanwhile. the entire League of
Nations structure hangs in the bal
knce as the argument develops over
who shall have permanent seats in
Cts council. Should Germany be de.
Hied a seat, it is felt here that the
tvhole European situation will have
Hrifted backward from the high point
Il reached at Locarno and that an era
Of ipstabi may be anticipated.
Should the dispute over permanent
Seats affect the prestige of the
league, 1t may in turn be reflected in
the World Court debate. Opponents
OF the court have insisted that the
league is dominated by political agree
ments and understandings among
certain nations and that the court
would be affected by the same spirit.
IF, however, the quarrels inside the
league are solved, the strength OF
the league as an instrument for world
peace will be impressed upon Ameri-
can opinion and the champions of
both the league and the World Court
will take new courage from the de-
<elopments at Geneva. Basically, the
issue is not being projected as a pri-
mary one, but its presence is felt in
the domestic political armament as
well as in the shaping of foreign
Rolicy.
ICOnVright 1895