Evening journal., 1920-10-07
HARDING To
REJECT,
INTERPRET
Republican Candidate Tells
l0wans League Is AL
ready ''Scrapped"
SEES DEATH BLOW
AT u. S. INDEPENDENCE

DES MONIES. Ia. Oct 7.-Reieotlon
not Interpretation should be the fate
Of obligations imposed by the League
q Nations covenant senator Warren
e Harding declared in a speech here
/. TODAY.
y want 70 turn my back on them. "
ne said. IT . not Interpretation
Dul rejection that | am seeking
harding met Democratic queries as
10 his view about "serappingn The
lle League with the retort that il ,s
futile to talk about "serapping" some
thing all Ieady "scrapped.
Declaring he does noAwant to risk
lhe hnal solution Of the problem by
nelng TO specific n0M, Harding proms
lsed ihat as soon as possible after
his election he will call the best
minds of the country, including nu-
merous senators, into conference 10
formulate lbs International program.
His speech here ioG~y is The first
trip.
Tonight he talks in Omaha.
Taking up the League, Harding
advocated an America wholly self
reliant and independent politically.
our opponents are persistently
curious to know whether if-or per-
haps, might better say, when-I am
elected, intend To- scrap the
League Harding said ut might be
sufficient in reply TO suggest the
futllity Of scrapping something
which is already scrdpped
The issue, as made by the Demo-
cratic platform and the Democratic
candidate, does not present the ques-
lion whether they shall favor some
form Of association among the ma
tons for preserving International
peace, but whether they favor the
particular league proposed by Presi-
dent Wilson.
The obligations are clear enough
and specific enough | do not want
10 elarfy these obligations; l want
10 turn my back on them. It is moi
depreciation, but rejection that
am seeking My position is that the
proposed League strikes a death blow
at our constitutional integrity and
surrenders TO dangerous extent our
Independence Of action.
The issue IS clear. understand
tile posit on of the Democratic candi-
date and he understands mine. In
simple words. ii is that be favors 40
ing into the Paris League, and
4dNuf sldN ing uul. IL pusiiiOu -
beyond cavi and it is that we shall 90
into the Paris League without mod
ifleatiOn OF substantial quali1cat on.
To such a betrayal Of my country
men. / will never consent To form
ulale a plan Of international coop
GRAFTON is a task | have no~1ntentipn
OF undertaking alone | shall no. risk
embarrassing the tlnal solution Of a
problem so m0mentous by undertake
ing 10 lay in advance, specific de-
Ia Is or plans.
AS soon as possible after my cleo
tion, / shall advise with the best
minds in the United States. and es-
pecially, | shall consult in advance
with the Senate, with whom, by the
terms Of the Constitution. l shall in
deed be bound TO consult. and with
out whose consent no such interna-
tional association can be formed. I
shall do this to the end that we shall
have an Association Of Nations for
the promotion Of international peace,
but one which shall so definitely
safeguard our sovereignty that it
will have back of il, not a divided
and distactbd sentiment, but the
united support Of the American peO-
pie. Without such united support no
plan can be made fully or perma-
nently successful