Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-14

Friends of the radio audience.
nave been asked to talk to you a fey
minutes this evening about the Worl
Court, or as it more properly should b
called, the Permanent Court of Inter
national Justice
OF course. one can never tell wher
q United States Senator will wind VI
when he gets started on a speech. bu
intend to conf1ne myself to what tn
World Court is, why the United State
should join the World Court-join i
as good a word as any, and espresso
the issue checked again to the United
States Senate this week when PreSi
dent Hoover sent the World Court pro
6ocolS to the Senate for consideration
with the recommendation that they b.
ratified-and why myself intend tt
vote for ratification.
As closely as possible, it is my inten-
ton to stick to what seems to me tx
be the fundamental issues involved
Also to try to keep hold of a sense Of
proportion in dealing with few of the
various phases of the questions in
volved. Statesmen handling side lines
are apt to neglect the main line they
fear, some of the rest of us get so in
tereSted in side lines that lend them
selves to argument and split-hair de-
batting that we are likely to forget the
main issue involved.
Outlines His Own Position.
First, I want to make my own posi-
tion plain.
favor American adherence TO the
protocol of the statute of the Perma-
nent Court of International Justice.
That means am for the World
Court
favor it because believe it to be
another step toward world peace, to-
ward the outlawry Of warfare as the
means of settling international misun-
uerStandings and disagreements.
favor it because believe the World
Court to be the result OF a sincere
peoples of the world to establish a
tribunal to insure peace with justice
and with honor for the nations Of the
world who join It.
favor the World Court because !
believe the hopes and aspirations of
the American people are for peace
peace within our borders, peace through
out the world; and because I believe
the World Court will assist materially
In making possible the realization of
that hope and that aspiration.
favor it because it is fundamentally
an American conception and American
contribution to world progress Presi-
dents Mckinley, Roosevelt, Taft, Hard
ing, Coolidge and Hoover approved
such tribunal. We prescribed this
medicine for the nations of the world
nearly half a century ago. Nothing
has happened since no ingredients
have been placed in the formula that
would justify us in refusing to take our
own medicine now, so far as I can see.
From the time this proposal was
firSt presented to the Senate for rati-
fcation I have made no secret of my
BELIEF that our Government should adj
here to the World Court If and when
such adherence might be accomplished
under terms that keep us free from
commitments of the League of Ma
tons, free from those "entangling alli-
arces" against which we were warned
years ago by George Washington,
against which we have been so often
warned and have been ever on guard
against ever since.
Quotes Washington on alliances"
Just word about George Washing
ton, whom I have always regarded as
PROBABLY the greatest all-around states
man and most farseeing patriot in our
history. Washington laid down a pin
ciple when he made his announcement
against entangling alliances.
But were Washington alive today he
would apply that principle In the light
of world conditions of today and of
world conditions that promise to pre-
van tomorrow. He would not base its
application on conditions that prevailed
at the end Of the eighteenth century.
any more than he would have decided
against the war for independence in
ITS on conditions that prevailed when
Columbus discovered America.
my fvsls !.
the memory Of the Father of His Coun-
try who would argue that he would not
have kept abreast of the times: would
not have recognized the difference in
international relationships brought about
by the changes in conditions. A world
that was weeks and months removed
rom the new nation Just emerged from
the status Of colony 10 removed only
hours and days from the United States
OF today. to which its position as q
leading world power has brought oblipa
tons and responsibilities and opportu-
mites that were undreamed of in the
pre-Schooldays Of this country of ours
Just few more words of background
my friends. and will get around 10
the World Court itself. But without
the background one cannot get the pic
ture OF the necessity for some such
tribunal If We are to have q substitute
for gunpowder, high explosives and
POISONOUS gases In settling differences
among nations.
Personally Investigates Tribunal.
A few years ago visited the seat o.
ehs tribunal Of international Justice al
The Hague. I had an exchange Of
views with the then members Of thG
Court and with its officers. I made
such q general observation of affairs ir
E1TFsFx II MA II -. 1rws..
nave tried to keep track Of world condi-
Hons as they affect this country before
and since that time. have not for.
gotten, nor am 1 likely to forget. thu
World War and some Of the lessons w
learned or should have learned.
All the evidence TO me is conclusiv,
that II the structure of our civilization
is to endure, justice and not gunpowdel
or other means OF destruction must b,
the bond between and among thu
nations.
War as an arbiter Of disputes is
ghastly and tragic farce. 1t is q IA
devourer. 1t brings about national ant
racial bankruptcies. It is horrible
futile. and its end in death for nation
and civilizations is inevitable.
The experiences of the World Wa
should not be forgotten. They shoult
be an everlasting warning. They shoulC
admonish us TO seek the path to peace
We should not hesitate to take tn
initial steps in the right direction
Common sense and the lessons of his
tory teach us that unless our civiliza
ton destroys war, war ultimately vii
destroy our civilization
Today we face an opportunity +
take an initial step. We took one sucl
step a year ago, when we ratified tn
pact Of Paris, the Kellogg pact, re
nouncing war as an instrument of ma
tionel policy and-mark youi-this pro
vision Of that pact also. In addition
to the remuneration OF war as an in
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