New-York tribune., 1920-12-16
Rewrite Treaty
La W Washington,
Falls Program
Senator Tells Harding That
Plan Is Practicable and
Some European Nation Is
Sure to Take Initiative
Would Suit Bitter-Enders
Advocates Divorce of Pact
From League; Relief for
Farms Held Imperative
From q star Corresponden.


MARION, Ohio, Dec. Is. Senator
Albert M. Fall, Of New Mexico, irrecon-
cilable opponent of the League Of Ma
tions covenant, told President elect
Harding to-day that the impossible
peace of Versailles must be rewritten
in the capital Of the United States.
World leadership that was lost abroad
by Woodrow Wilson will be regained by
America, Senator Fall believes, soon
after Inauguration Of Mr.. Harding.
The two Senators were in conference
most Of the afternoon, and when they
had finished Senator Harding brought
Mr.. Fall to the little backyard bunga-
low that is headquarters for the news
paper correspondents to diagram the
channels Of their conversation about
the future relations of the United
States. There, in the presence of SEN
ator Harding, the Southwesterner ex-
planned that he believes that when
President Wilson leaves the White
House the distracted nations Of Europe
will appeal to the President of the
United States to call for new negotia-
tions among the nations that were rep
resented at the peace conference at
Versailles.
Falls Opinions Valued
The Importance of Senator Falls
views must be reckoned from the
standpoint Of hts close personal friend
ship for the President elect For six
years they have counseled with each
each other and there are few men in
pr blic life to whose opinion Senator
Harding attaches more weight. Senator
Fall said:
There is going to be some kind Of
new negotiations. I believe those ne
gotiations will be conducted in Wash
ington, and l believe some European
nation will make overtures soon after
Senator Harding enters the White
House. They are crazy to get US in on
any basis. l told Senator Harding this
afternoon that felt the United States
soon could find way in which to re-
sumo world leadership.
"The nations rf Europe must fix
sum for Germany to pay. There must
be new negotiations over boundaries.
Preparations were left up in the air at
Versailles on purpose. Incidentally
there is war in every line of the
boundary provisions of that treaty.
Much of that does not concern this
country at all. We are not interested
in reparations; we are only asking to
be paid for shipping losses. and they
are not covered in the reparation pro-
visions of the treaty.
II want to make myself very clear
that l don't want America committed
to carrying out provisions Of the treaty
in which we are not interested. The
members of the peace conference at
Versailles Just SAT around the table and
treated the Germans as conquered
people. They simply tried to decide
! whether they could get more out of
Germany as going concern than by
wiping it out Of existence.
Would Divorce League and Treaty
"I"believe the League of Nations can
De divorced from ~ pace II IL -
spite Of Mr.. Wilson's statements.
that not only can America get together,
but that all the rest Of the world can
meet on the line that Senator Harding
is working upon. We are all approach
ing the subject from fresh angle.
Even the irreconcilables favor soma
sort of association Of nations. We owe
a duty to other people that we ought to
pay, if we can do it without binding
ourselves to We know rot what, or even
il we have to sacrifice some portion of
our sovereignty"
Senator Fall added that even Sena-
tors Borah and Johnson had expressed
themselves as not opposed to some
form OF association Of nations.
lie was asked if he had talked with
Senator Harding about the Harvey pro-
posal for an association of nations.
II was one OF those who favored a
referendum on peace" he replied. "I
don't see why | should Cd to a
referendum on war. My individual
opinion is that Europe thinks very lit
/ tie of the present league. They will
be altogether glad to listen to Ameri-
can proposals for new one"
Senator Fall declared tnat he hsd