The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-07-23
CUT
BY HARDING
FOR HIRAM?
Nominee Drops Former
Views and Surrenders
to Johnson Stand.
By DAVID LAWRENCE,
Especial to The Argus.)

Marion, Ohio, July Ex-senator
Warren G. Harding has surrender
ed to Senator Hiram Johnson and
lis in favor of scrapping the treaty
Of peace which contains the pres
ent League Of Nations. Mr.. Hard
ing proposes, if elected, to make a
separate peace by congressional
resolution and to ask the nations
Of the world to create q different
league of nations from that pre-
pared by Mr.. Wilson.
Senator Johnson has threatened
to bolt the Republican nominee if
he did not accept the interpreta-
ton Of the Republican platform
which the California senator had
enunciated. Unless Hiram John
son reveals himself merely as a
poor loser, there il nothing In the
Harding speech Of acceptance as
| it relates to the league issue to
which he can take objection.
Takes Stand With Hiram.
Unquestionably Senator Harding
doesn't believe the league which is
now In existence in Europe has
much of a hold on the American
voter and takes his place therefore
alongside Hiram Johnson, who has
managed, in the east at any rate
| to rouse q considerable following
for his views.
Bat the speech of Mr.. Harding
comes as a surprise to those whe
had expected that the presence d
Elihu Root in Europe and the rec
ord of the Ohio senator in voting
j for the treaty at Versailles will
| reservations would commit him t.
an endeayor at least to fashion
something out of the present inter
national structure. But Mr.. Hard
ing rejects it absolutely and call!
for "a new association" of nations
Throws Treaty Overheard.
Irrespective of how many reser
! vations, interpretations or other
wise, may be proposed by Governo
Cox, the Democratic platform com
mits him to. the present League o
Nations and the ratification of tn
treaty of Versailles. To the exten
that President Wilson sought
clear cut issue on the league, hi
] wish has been gratified, for Senate
Harding throws overheard tn
treaty of Versailles and calls for
new peace agreement with the, ma
jtions of Europe. Naturally tn
Democrats will say this means
new peace conference and more in
ternational negotiations and con
fusion and delay.
! But the whole tenor Of the Hard
ing speech of acceptance indicate
that he believes the Johnsonia
| view of the league issue Is NOR
popular than any other. He unhes
itatingly subscribes to it. AS fo
the remainder of the speech. th
Ohio senator has written an elt
Quent Grafton with solemn warnin
in it to the ever increasing d.
mand OF labor for more wage
which he says cannot be heede
unless accompanied by efiicieI
: service In return.
+ Appeals to Farmer Vote.
The Ohio senator goes into deta
skillfully on the subject of farm
. ers' cooperative organization
thereby appealing to the agricu
ture vote. He goes back to the ol
Panama canal tolls fight of 191
and practically reverses the pos
tion taken by Senators Lodge an
Root at the time, who claimed tn:
for American ships to be immun
from the payment of tolls was
discrimination against British shiI
and violation of the Hay-Paunc'
fote treaty between the Unite
States and Great Britain.
However, the Irish voters oppo
ed that repeal Of the Panama can;
tolls act and the presumption
(COntinued ou paOa Throal