Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-06
ROBINSON SEES WORLD COURT
AS MORAL FORCE FOR PEACE
Tribunal Furnishes "Dignified
and lust Agency" for Settling
Disputes, Says Senator.
Democratic Leader Pleads
for U. S. Adherence Before
Departure for London.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA, January 6.-Reply-
ing to critics of American adherence to
the World Court, Senator Robinson OF
Arkansas, the Democratic leader, said
in an address here last night that the
moral effect of the court will be to
promote spirit and disposition OF
tolerance and good will"
Speaking under the auspices OF the
Rodeph Shalom Sisterhood of Phila-
delphia, Senator Robinson, one of the
American delegates to the London
Naval Conference, asserted that the
court furnishes a dignified and just
agency for contracting the nations that
are in trouble and tends to substitute a
reign of law for the reign of force which
throughout history has prevailed"
While it is absurd to claim, or even
to hope" he added, that the Perma-
nent Court of International Justice will
prove effective in all cases where inter-
national i'll will and hatred exist. his
tory justifleS faith in its value as one
of the factors which can be relied on to
mitigate animosities and to decide issues
which in the absence of any permanent
tribunal of justice might result in wal"
U. S. Signs Protocol.
The revised protocol of the World
Court, providing for American ad-
herence, has been signed by the United
States and the only step remaining Is
ratification by the Senate. The pro-
tocol has not yet been submitted to the
Senate by President Hoover and no in
dication has been given as to when this
will be done.
Discussing the objections that Ameri-
can adherence involved a reputation
or modification of the policy of avoid
ing European entanglementS, and that
no process was available to enforce de-
ciSions of the court, Robinson said the
effectiveness of the court largely was
dependent upon the good faith and good
will of the litigants and that compul-
sorry agencies would seldom be required
to give effect to its DEGREES.
Voluntary Jurisdiction.
Jurisdiction as to the United States
would be voluntary, and this country
would be at liberty to withdraw without
penalty If the court persisted in render
ing an advisory opinion over objections,
he said, adding that, in view of this. ''it
is difficult to see how any 'entangle-
ment' can result, unless one chooses to
affirm that we will have nothing to do
with the troubles of other peoples and
determine every question in which our
selves and other nations are concerned
Va
interests"
Robinson said that commercial ex-
pansion and quick communication were
making international relations more
complicated and that it was doubtful
that "a more modest arrangement
could be set up through which the
United States could contribute to the
promotion of peace.
Discussing the objection that the
court would make, rather than inter-
pref, international laws, Robinson said
the task of working out code of in
ternational law and securing its ap-
prevail was difficult and would be long
drawn out.
Referring for moment to the criti-
cism that a majority of the members
of the court will consist of foreigners"
he continued, "let it be said that the
same is true of any international con-
vention. conference or other assembly,
and that no fair-minded person could
insist as a condition of our member
ship that the majority of the judges
shall be citizens of the United States"