Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-29
HARDING LEAGUE
!. PLANS GET CHECK
5itter-Enders' Sweep In Senate
Blow to President-Elect's
Program
McCUMBER JOINS GROUP
BY CLINTON w. GILBERT

STAN Correspondent Evening Public ISrdSet
COPYRIGHT, !ss9. ~ Pubic LEDGER co.
Marion. Dec. 2a.--Will President.
elect Harding modify his league plan
considerably In the bitter ender direc-
tion In order 10 meet the views Of the
leaders in the United States Senate?
The surprising shift OF Senator Porter
j. McCumber over toward the irrecon
cilables suggests a solid body Of anti.
league sentiment in Washington which
has not yet found expression In these
conferences at Marion
McCumber did not soy that he dis.
agreed with the President elect. but he
did say. after discussing foreign rela-
tions With Mr.. Harding. that he per.
sonally thought tho present IenEup Of
Naaons was dead and that il Could not
: be used as the basis Ct new nRSocic
tion Of nations and ho added that ne
thought all that was necessary was an
agreement among nations. b. treaty,
not TO make war, until disputes among
them over iton iuStiCiGbln questions had
been SinvestigatcG and reported upon.
Mr.. MeCuuiber implied he did not re-
gard anT league Or association among
nations as feasible.
senator Harding : plan Cun.cmplotes
permanent 0rgnniGaticu nf nations. Of
which the present league may become
the basis Mr.. McCumbe- did not de.
clare his approval OF the Harding pro.
posal, as Senator's FRn and Shields
have, but conterted himself. az Senator
Poindexter did, with indicating the
United states might 80 in an effort TO
make war unlikely. and that distance
apparently fell somewhat short OF the
lengths to which President elect Hard.
ing is now'prepared TO go.
p, DecLiration surprising
Mr.. McCumber's declaration was ay.-
prising, in view of the fact that all last
winter be was the most pro league sen
ntor on tn" Republican side o. tho u.T,.r
house. CIV more than one issue he alone
OF the Republicans voted with the Dem-
ocratS. he was the mildrst of the mild
reservationiSts and the most courage.
Gus. Now his position does not seem 70
be far from that OF Senator's BoTah,
KnoK.end Johnson.
His conversion can probably be eG-
plsiued. Party men find il lonely. in.
convenient and dangerous TO be as much
out of harmony with their party as Mr
McCuusber was last winter and when
they have an opportunity to swing back
into line they. go the whole way. They
ally themselves with some solid body Of
sentiment in their party and are per
fectly regular. Another thing has hap
pened to Mr.. McCunber. He is now
acting chairman OF the senate finance
committee. In Senator Penrose's ab-
sence this is q position OF great power
and Importance. II brings Mr.. McCum-
bcr into close relations with the elder
Srsteamen NJ the Senate. |, r,akes him
one of them; he tends to agree with
hem, it IL important 70 him that lie
SHOULD do so.
No Breach With Harding
NJ. McCumber's irreconciable posi- Z.
,tiyn does not indicate q breach with the
'i'Teaident. elect Mr.. Harding's own
lpusitiou j. indefinite. and Il is subject to
change. II one can guess from here, Mr..
sMcCumber, being a senator and an i'm
4porant one, stands with the Senate,
until Mr.. Harding takes the senate into
camp or until the Senate takes Mr..
Harding into camp.
! The pretty play for authority wEich
hrgan when Mr Harding arrived in
Washington after his trip TO Panama
and when the Senate counted upon
Gathering him a. one of its own and
Mr.. Harding was pleasantly admonitory
about being jealous Df III" rights Of the
executive. Is still going on. 4 mild sort
o( conflict, between President. elect
Harding and Senate is In progress.
Mr.. Harding 10 In Marion trying 10
organize party opinion. consulting with
senators Il. individuals, rot with the
Senate, on the same terms as he Is con
sultins with party leaders, ike eE .
Secretary Root and eS President Taft
Tho Senate 0: tn Republican ma