PURELY JUDICIAL

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 101, 30 April 1923, Page 7

PURELY JUDICIAL

THE WORLD COURT PLAN

CHANGE OF AMERICAN OPINION.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION-—COPTMOHI.)

(AUSTRALIAN - NBW ZEALAND CABIB ASSOCIATION.)

WASHINGTON, 27th April. Mr. C. E. Hughes, the Secretary of State, addressing the American Society of International Law, answered the Senate criticisms of President Harding's World Court plan. He reiterated emphatically that, the United States was not trying to enter the League of Nations, and demonstrated that the League would be unable to control the Court. Regarding the British Empire's six votes, Mr. Hughes stated that it -was practically impossible for the Empire or any combination to secure the election of judges in aid of a particular political interest. The admission of the various parts of the Empire had been in recognition of the aspirations of the peoples composing them. This had not been found an' insuperable obstacle to other Powers' support of the Court. He declared: "Whatever else we should have, we need at once a permanent Court of International Justice. No plan _to promote peace can dispense with it. We shall make no progress toward the prevention of war if we adopt a perfectionist policy." Mr. Hughes's address comprised extraordinarily detailed legal argument proving that the Court would be purely judicial. What is regarded as a forecast of the ultimate bridging of the gap in the Republicln Party ranks' caused by disagreement on the World Court proposal was made in a speech by Senator Watson, one of the most influential of the Republicans who have been against President Harding's plan. At Pittsburg Mr. Watson declared that the differences over the Court will be smothered in the end. He, however, attacked the League bitterly: .