World Court

Out of the diplomatic mist at Geneva, Switzerland, last week came a scheme to admit the U. S. to the World Court. A conference of the Court Adherent Powers decided to accept the five Senate reservations in toto, with a counter reservation on No. IV that "the signatory states acting together with at least a two-thirds majority should possess a corresponding right to withdraw their acceptance of the special conditions attached by the United States"; and with the suggestion than an "understanding" on No. V could be reached after the U. S. was in the Court. It is expected that the 55 Adherent Powers will sign this protocol and send the necessary individual invitations to the U. S. to "come on in."

Meanwhile in Washington, President Coolidge took up the Official Spokesman's megaphone; said very carefully that he had no comment to make on the reports from Geneva, but that the situation looked gloomy. He might have added that it is embarrassing. When the President receives the official invitations from the World Court members, he cannot accept them in their altered form without consulting the Senate, neither can he pigeonhole them after politely thanking Europe, All of which means that there will probably be another World Court squall in the Senate within the. next two years. Already the Senatorial "diehards" arid irreconcilables, who unsuccessfully fumed against the Court last winter, are whetting their axes for a new battle.

Of course, it was that ebullient man from Idaho, Senator William E. Borah, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, who fired the loudest shot last week. Said he: "What the report at Geneva relative to our joining the Court means, stripped of all unnecessary verbiage is that the United States must change its reservations or consent to a construction of them which will emasculate or wholly destroy them. This brings the whole subject up anew for consideration. . . ."

Unquestionably, that "reserved" flame of international brotherhood which surged within the breasts of the lawmakers last January is waning. Three Senators who Voted for the World Court have already recanted their opinions. Others were defeated in the primaries partly because of the Court.