New-York tribune., 1920-10-26
League Advocates
Hold Wilson Cost
Life Of Covenant
Harding Is Asked 10 Agree 20
Entry Under Lodge Res
ervations or Such Others
as Senate May Approve

The direct charge that President.
Wilson was responsible for this coun-
tfy's failure TO enter the League OF
Nations is contained in an open letter
sent to Senator Warren G. Harding
yesterday by a committee representing
prominent citizens Of Republica faith.
The letter, which is signed by .am-
uel Colcord and s. parkes 'Cadman, of
New York; William Allen White. of
Kansas, and S. Homer Woodbridge, of
Massachusetts, asks Senator Harding
for statement of his standing upon
the league question. The signatories
declare they are committee zap
pointed to give expression to the views
of large number of eminent Repub-
lican advocates OF world organization
for peace. who together with an equal
number Of eminent Democrats, pre-
sented a similar appeal to the Hon.
Woodrow Wilson, the President, at 4
time when his favorable reception Of
it would have made the United States
a member of the League Of Nations"
Question Put to Harding
The question put to Senator Har-
ding is a repetition of the one sent
Sunday TO him and Governor Cox by
group of Republicans and Democrats
and is as folows:
"lf the election fails to provide the
required two~thirds vote in the Senate
for our entry into league or associa-
ticn of nations for the preservation Of
peace upon a basis more satisfactory
to you, will you advise apd support
our entry into the existing League of
Nations with the Lodge reservations,
or such revision Of them as two-th:rds
of the Senate may approve ?"
The letter then adds: THE Quesjo
does not call upon you TO forsakc or
IN any degree abate, your detormn n;.-
tion to reject the League af Nations
brought from Paris by President Will
son. 1t leaves You free to put forth
your utmost endcavors to scrap the
League Of Nations. If we may use a
popular term, in favor Of any better
realization through an association Of
nations which you may now or here
after favor. It merely calls for an as
surance that in the event you cannot
realize your worthy ambitions and
laudable hopes, you will not follow
the lamepiable course of President
Wilson and give the world nothing at
all but damaging suspense and dead
ening disappointment.
For ourselves We do not need that
assurance. But there are millions Of
Republicans as we'll as Democratic
friends Of world peace who do not
know you as we 90, who are sick at
heart over the failure Of Democratic
craftsmanship TO rise to the great re-
sponsibility and opportunity which
were theirs, who viii be greatly re
lieved and strengthened in faith and
hope, if you will but give them that
word.'
Forced Issue Into Campaign
Speaking OF President Wilson's re-
fusal TO heed the advice of the BIZ
partisan friends Of the league last
March, the letter states that this re-
fusal resulted in forcing the question
of the League OF Nations into q cam
palgn issue. The committee fears that
the election may prove inconclusive 50
IS anxious to have Senator Harding
declare in advance his willingness for
compromise.
The letter states that the attention
OF President Wilson was forcibly
called to the indisputable fact that if
the United States entered the League
Of Nations under the Lodge rescrva-
tions. they could be favorably changed
or withdrawn if such at any time
should be our will, as the other ma
tions signatory to the covenant would
hasten to agree.
What the President and Demo
cratic craftsmanship then rejected was
our entry into the League Of Nations
with reservations which left intact in
the covenant the economic boycott
against war as provided in Article XVI,
the most effective instrument in ali
the covenant for the preservation of
peace and the assurance of interna-
tional justice'
RESORTS