Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-09
The World Court.

American charge daffaires in Switzer-
land to affix the signature of the United
States Government to the protocol of
Senate will be required formally and
finally to effectuate our entry into the
court. Mr.. Hoover's action was fore
Swallowed in his message to Congress
last week, though it ensues sooner than
expected. The President intimated
that he would seek Senate confirmation
Of his proposal at some convenient
moment"
The ratifying vote will be on the now
celebrated Root formula" modifying
the reservations attacked by the Senate
on January 81, 1926. BY the over
whelming vote of rs to II, the Senate
approved American adhesion to the
court under conditions guaranteeing the
United States, on the one hand, against
League of Nations commitments, and,
on the other, against subsection to ad-
visory opinions on disputes of American
concern.
It was Senate reservation No. 5, de-
barring the court from rendering
opinions on issues "in which the United
States has or claims an interest" at
which other court members demurred
Thereupon, with the full knowledge and
assent of the State Department under
the Coolidge administration, negotia-
tions were initiated at Geneva, from
which finally emerged the Root for
mula."
The kernel of the formula, for which
the veteran American statesman jurist
and former Secretary of State and Of
War is primarily responsible, is regarded
by the Washington Government as an
irrevocable safeguard of every American
interest that can conceivably be affect
ed by World Court procedure. IF the
United States is involved in any dispute
or controversy to whatever degree with
another country" Secretary Stimson
points out in his letter to President
Hoover unreservedly recommending the
action to be taken this day, that mat
ter cannot be brought before the World
Court without the consent of the United
States, even for the purpose of obtain
ing an advisory opinion" America, in
short, retains a cast-iron veto power
on any and all occasions. We can take
as we please. We cannot by any rule,
whim or order of the court be brought
into it against our sovereign will. We
remain, after joining the court on our
own terms. what we are today, master
indisputable in our own house.
To read any other possibility, contin-
gency or danger into the steps Presi-
dent Hoover has directed is to build
q purely imaginary DOGGY. That scare
crow was reared by our irreconcilables
nearly seven years ago, when President
Harding and Secretary Hughes first
proposed American adherence to the
court. 1t reared its head and tapped
its empty sleeves in the international
wind throughout the regime Of Pres
dent Coolidge and Secretary Kellosg
who, in turn, espoused the Harding
Hughes proposal. Probably the familiax
and fatuous old bugbear will be trqtr
ted out on Capitol Hill again before
the irreconcilable group is reconciledt
The Senate minority, which Still
quakes at the mere mention OF ria
World Court, is far from symptomatic Of
American sentiment as whole-that Ii
to say, the country, beyond the shadow Of
a doubt, overwhelmingly favors the par
ticipation of the United States in the
tribunal. At this moment only four
other countries are non participants
Albania, Costa Rica, Ethiopia and
Lithuania. Secretary Stimson stresses
that for over half century this coun-
try has taken leading part in promot-
ing the judicial settlement Of fnterna-
tional disputes" In the era of the
Kellogg BRAND pact, at the hour of
the proclamation of the Hoover doctrine
for mobilization of world opinion for
peace when war is threatened-in such
an era and at such an hour the Ameri-
can Republic has no right any longer
to abstain from fellowship with its Sis
ter nations of the earth in the one
practical, "going concern" yet evolved