Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-10
WORLD COURT VOTE
SAT|SFY |NG TO ALL.
Friends and Foes interpret
Situation FavorabIy-Some
Still See U. S. Joining.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

There Is comfort for both sides of
the World Court controversy in the
Senate vote of 50 to 10 against with
drawing the overtures made by the
United States to join the World Court.
The opponents of the court regard the
issue as dead, because Great Britain
and other powers have declined to
accept the American reservations. The
friends of the court are delighted that
the Senate did not rescind its action
but left the matter open for further
action by the powers.
Thus the United States stands ready
still to enter the World Court if the
other governments care to construe
the American reservations as helpful
instead of destructive. 1t all depends
on the spirit of American diplomacy
Though the United States would be
able under one reservation to veto
a request by the league for an adj
visory opinion from the court in any
matter in which the United States has
an interest. there is also the posi-
bility that the United States might
not object to the preparation of such
an opinion.
L. S. Might Change Views.
Just now the foreign governments
think no government should have
veto power of this kind. But the
United States Senate changes from
time to time and the next few Years
may see the pendulum swing toward
closer cooperation with the rest of
the world. The hope of the friends
of the court is that a change of senti.
ment VIII come some day and that
when the fires of the present con-
troVersy have died down it will be a
simple matter to get a brief amend
ment adopted by the Senate modify
ing the language of the nresent
protocol proposing American adber.
ence.
PRESIDENT Coolidge for reasons of
MS own has not cared to revive the
controversy at this time, especially
during short session of Congress-
when many important pieces of
domestic legislation would be i'm
period by prolonged debate. Even
the champions of the world court
are not disposed at this time to press
the issue They feel that foreign
governments in time will come to un-
derstand the American reservations
and that at the meeting of the
League of Nations assembly in
Geneva next September some debate
on the subject may develop which
will ultimately affect the opinion OF
the powers.
Canadian Objection Stated
The chances of a modification,
however, are at the moment con-
sidered slight, for countries like
Canada have been strongest in their
to the reservations of the
American Senate, and the implication
is that a veto power by the United
States on questions in this hem
isphere which is not possessed by
Canada would not sit well with Ca
madam public opinion.
For practical purposes the omission
of the United States from the World
Court means nothing as the Court is
with the support of nearly
so governments. The United States,
even II a member of the World Court,
would not be able to submit dispute
for settlement without the consent of
two-thirds of the Senate anyhow. Nor
are the opinions rendered now by the
court binding on the United States.
though they in time will have their in
fuence before arbitration tribunals as
having the merit of modern interna-
tional law.
Copyright. 1927