Evening star., 1939-10-16
Bomb-Proof Shelter
Rises in Shadow
OF Peace Palace
President of Court
At The Hague Ready
To Hear Disputes

THE HAGUE (by MaiD The
beds Of geraniums in the handicapped
lawns look now like splotches of fresh
blood on the mist-washed green car
pets of grass which stretch around
the spired brick temple Of peace in
Hollands capital.
The rose beds have not yet been
dug up for bomb shelter, nor are
there any sandbags to protect the
statues and stained blass windows
where the white wings of angels are
spread over nations dwelling in
brotherly love.
mot yet" a little nervously re-
marks the gatekeeper who holds the
key to the massive iron gates, gift
Of Wilhelm II long before he be-
came the lonely archeologist of
Doorn-gates designed, it would
seem, to lock in the white angels
from world where they are no
longer welcome But directly across
the street, within 10 yards Of these
gates, is one of the largest sod
covered mounds in the city, con-
cealing an elaborate underground
bomb shelter. The Peace Palace
staff can reach it easily, but not the
angels.
Few Visit Now.
1t is lonely spot now. The voice
OF the guide echoed in the emptiness
of the richly decorated halls the
other afternoon-his only auditors
two old German ladies who sobbed
now and then.
The master of the Palace OF Peace
today, valiantly holding the tort of
world harmony, Is an elderly, gray
moustached, very kindly gentleman,
DR.. j. Gustavo Guerrero of the Gen.
trail American Republic of San Sal
vador, president of the Permanent
Court of International Justice. In
spite Of everything, DR.. Guerrero
says, the court will meet in October
to try case which has arisen be-
tween Belgium and Bulgaria over
q Belgian street railway franchise
in Sofia. He is busy preparing for
the meeting. Fifteen justices must
sit down together, including repre-
sentatives of China and Japan. At
present there is no German or Rus
sian on the court, which includes
Representatives of the United States,
Great Britain, France, Poland, Ru-
mania, Italy, Cuba, Colombia, Fin
land, Spain, Belgium and Holland,
as well as the Far Eastern powers.
DR.. Guerrero doesn't expect any
hard feeling to develop, he says,
since the case is purely juristic and
In no way involves politics.
Satisfaction Forecast.
Except for this matter, the nations
OF the earth would seem to be quite
brotherly under the wings of the
white angels, so far as the Peace
Palace is concerned. The only other
case, which will not come up before
next year, is a little tax matter
between Hungary and Leischten-
stein. The court Is bound to function,
DR.. Guerrero says, during this pend
ing litigation and he is confident |
that Belgium, Bulgaria, Leichsten-
stein and Hungary will go out of |
the Kaiser's iron gates satisfied that !
they have had square deal
Very sad times" pensively re-
marks the man who officially Is the
foremost representative in the world
of the cause of peace through JUS
tice. ss
But outside his Office the echoing
halls Of the big brick building,
standing in its 16-acre grounds, are
filled with symbols of hopes that
are sleeping and of tragic mementos
of happier todays before the great
cataclysm of 1914.
There are the costly gifts of ma
tions like Austria, no longer in ex-
istence, and men, like the late Gar
Nicholas, who are long since dead.
The palace was finished in 1918, on
the eve of the war, built and en-
dowed to the extent of $1,5O0000 by
the late Andrew Carnegie. Most of |
the then existing nations made rich |
contributions of pictures, statues,
carpets, etc.
In the great hall of the palace
are AZ chairs, each designed to be
occupied by representative of a
nation. Between the chair bearing
the coat of arms of the United States
and the one embroidered with the
coat of arms of Holland stands one
upon whose back, against the back
ground of a yellow shield, is en-