Evening star., 1930-12-13
World Court.

the Senate, in compliance with a prom
ise made by him, the protocols of
adherence on the part Of this country
to the World Court, under the terms
Of the revised statutes of the court,
including the Root formula" The
wisdom of the submission of the mat
ter to the Senate at this time has been
questioned. The specter of a special
session of the Congress next Spring has
been raised. But after all, It Is a
specter raised for the most part by
Senators who are opposed to the court
and some of whom are not opposed
to special session. The President has
urged consideration of the World Court
protocols after the disposition of
emergency measures to meet unem-
ployment and drought distress and the
annual supply bills for the Govern
ment. These are the sine qua non,
the very meat of the present short ses-
sion of the Congress. If there be time
after they have been disposed of, then
the court may, as the President indi-
Gates, properly come before that body
for consideration
In his message transmitting to Con-
gress the protocols, Mr.. Hoover calls at
tention to the fact, sometimes forgot
ten, that the movement for the estab-
liShment of a World Court originated in
the United States; that it has had the
backing of Presidents W1son, Harding
and Coolidge, and Of some of the most
eminent of Secretaries of State. He
calls attention also to the fact that
the provisions of the protocols "free us
from any ENHANCEMENT in the diplo-
macy Of other nations" The Senate.
when the court proposal came before it
more than three years ago, gave its
consent to adherence after adopting
flve reservations. Four of these were
accepted by the member nations. The
nth, dealing with advisory opinions of
the court, was objected TO- The revi-
sion of the statutes of the court, Mr..
Hoover holds, has obviated the neees-
sity Of the fifth reservation, and In this
view Mr.. Hoover Is supported by Sem
ator Swanson Of Virginia. author of
the reservation. and many other Sena-
tors who supported that reservation.
The World Court proposal is properly
before the Senate; at present before
It's Committee on Foreign Relations.
It has been suggested that it might
be used later to force special session
Of Congress next March, If q majority
Of the Senate can be prevailed upon
10 bring the protocols before the Sen
ate and hold them there to an extent
that will prevent final action on ap-
pears doubtful. now, however, that the
protocols viii be reported to the Senate
from the Foreign Relations Committee.
Senator Borah, chairman of the COM
mittee and also an opponent Of the
court, originally declared that the pro-
tecols must be reported to the Senate as
soon as possible. But now opponents of
the court in the committee are divided
over whether 1t would be better to re-
port the protocols or to hold them in
committee. II the protocols are not re-
ported at the present session Of Con-
gress, it is argued. then there is no
danger Of their being taken up ard
forced to vote. The desire of many
Of the Senators, some of them oppo-
nents Of the court, to avoid a special
session after March 4, Is well under
stood. Many of the proponents Of the
court also are not inclined to view with
satisfaction 3 special session in the
Spring. The opponents of the court
believe that II the matter is allowed to
60 over until the next regular session
Of Congress. in December, 1891, the
approaching national election and fear
ca the part Of many to bring the court
issue into the campaign, would cause
still further delay of the matter.
II it cannot be acted upon before March
4, and there seems to be little idea in
any senatorial head that it can, then
1t could well be brought before q spe-
cial session Of the Senate, called to
deal with that problem alone, after
March 4. That course would probably
be the most orderly that could be puT-
sued, making 1t possible to obtain con-
sideration Of the treaty by the Senate
when there could be no conflict with
legislative matters.