Evening star., 1945-07-31
Letters to The Star
Sees Impartial Court as Basis of
World Peace and Justice
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor OF The star:
Almost year ago. on the eve of the
convening OF the Dumbarton Oaks Con-
ference. you graciously published short
letter from the writer expressing the
hope that from that conference might
spring the nucleus of a world organiza-
ton for establishing international gov
ernment by law. The results of the
Dumbarton conference rounded out and
enlarged by the San Francisco Confer
ence are not altogether Disappointing
even to one who would have preferred
to see more centralized executive world
power and more definite arrangements
and adequate assured forces to preserve
peace in the world.
We confidently may expect that we
soon will have confederation or asso-
citation of nations actively promoting
principles that can and may prevent
wars. The San Francisco Charter may
be the genesis of an institution to which
Mr.. Fulbright (now United States Sena-
tori made reference in an address de-
livered before the American Bar Asso-
ciation at Chicago, August rs, l943: 1T
Is important to remember that institu-
tions and principles for the government
Of men, whether they be OF morals, eco
nomics or politics. do not spring full
blown from the minds OF mortals They
evolve, and all too slowly. but in the
evolutionary process they acquire valid
ity and stability"
The greatest value of the Magma
Charta wrested by the English barons
from King John in 1918 lay In its point
ing the way to freedom from tyranny
and bondage for the average man. So,
this Charter at least points the way to
universal peace. Moreover, there are
provisions In 1t Of tangible significance,
the most important of which perhaps
is Chapter XIV constituting the Inter-
national Court of Justice, the principal
judicial organ of the United Nations,
and Incorporating the statute of the
permanent Court OF International Jus
tice as an integral part of the Charter.
The General Assembly. as opponents Of
the Charter charge, may become a mere
glortfied debating society, but the pro-
ceedings and decisions Of the court can
not be so belittled and deprecated. 1t
is evident that the new International
Court Of Justice will find itself In an
entirely different atmosphere from that
In which the permanent Court Of Inter-
national Justice abored during the time
Of the League Of Nations 1t is not too
much to expect that as the court grows
in the confidence OF governments, the
transfer to an impartial authority of
the prerogatives OF nations to answer
for themselves in international disputes
will be accepted. The nations can be
made to realize that the court Is a sum-
cient guarantee that force of whatever
nature employed will be used to respond
only to the Judgment of a considerate
and unpre JUDGED tribunal 1t was the
courts which first appeared with spe-
cialized functions in the early history
Of English institutional development: +:
and 1t is quite probable that a judicial
approach to a completely workable world
organization must precede a centralized
executive world power and international
legislation. however much we may prefer
to see a timely development OF a CEN
trail world authority with actual legal
competence and power to govern nations
as nations govern their subjects
WALTER l.. POPE.