The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-10-23
HARDINCIS0.K.
SAYS JOHNSON
California Senator at Baltimore
Asserts Candidate Will
Spurn League.

bALIlnO0Es OC@ Sos-oAs~A
Hiram johnson. speaking with all
his extraordinary fervor, declared
last night at q meeting, which
crowded the Lyric TO its capacity,
that the election Of Senator Hard
ing to the Presidency means bury
ing for all time Of the League OF
Nations.
A SORRY COMPLEMENT"
without mentioning the names Of
Mr.. Root Mr. Taft and other promi-
nent Republicans who have argued
that the way to get this country into
the League Is to elect Senator Hard
ing. Senator johnson insisted that
they pay Senator Harding a sorry
compliment when they say that his
words do not mean what they must
mean IL they are to be taken at face
value.
az do not care" he said, referring
TO the statement given out recently
by thirty-one prominent pro-League
Republicans, headed by Mr.. Root and
including DR.. Frank ]. Goodnow, III
thirty-one gentlemen in New York. or
$4,000 gentlemen in New York, say
the reverse of what l contend. Here
are the words Of Warren Harding.
and upon whose words, he Is entitled
to the support Of every redblooded
American"
Before going to the Lyric Senator
johnson was told that in his speech
In Baltimore Thursday night. Cover
nor Cox. Democratic Presidential
pominee. had said that there Is an ir-
reconcilable difference between what
he and Senator Borah say Mr.. Hard
ing will do about the League IL elect
ed President, and what Mr.. Root and
Mr. Taft say he will do. He also was
told that Governor Cox had suggested
that some one Is being fooled. and
was asked whether he had anything
TO say about that
NOTHING TO SAY.
"Oh, no." replied Senator Johnson
mo. thank you. not a thing"
The first half of Senator Johnson's
speech was devoted to proving that
Senator Harding stands with the ir-
reconcilables and bitter-enders on the
League question. He quoted at length
from the Presidential candidates
speeches, and remarked at one point
that If the audience did not know
whose words they were, it would
think they had come from the lips OF
Senator Borah or Senator Reed. When
he concluded discussion of what Sem
ator Harding will do, IL elected, he
turned his attention to the League
itself. and denounced 1t vehemently
The big crowd. which included
practically all Of those who were
active in Senator Johnson's fight In
Maryland for the nomination for
President, gave him a rousing cheer
when he was presented. and cheered
him repeatedly as he made points
against the arguments OF the pro-
League Republicans supporting SEN
ator Harding and against the League
itself.
SAY PLATFORM Is CLEAR
was interested in something other
than my own candidacy at Chicago.
was interested in tho platform, and
as to that we succeeded Our plat
form declares itself so clearly upon
this question Of the League so clearly
that there can be no dispute. In the
inception Of the campaign we have a
characterization Of the League in our
platform which leaves no doubt as to
our party's position. And the candi-
date has made that position more
emphatic.
There Is nothing ambiguous or
uncertain in our candidates declara-
tion," the Senator continued. "He
He has put the league behind him.
He wants neither interpretations nor
reservations. but outright rejection.
CALLS LEAGUE THE ISSUE.
From those who believe as I do,
he is entitled not only to the warm
est commentator, but the strongest
advocacy and most enthusiastic sup
port The issue today Is the League
of Nations as presented by President
Wilson, which Cox says he will take
this country into, and which Hard
ing says he won't.
1.-THE men and newspapers who
pretend to be friends of Senator
Harding and who assert that he Ia
TO take this country into the League
of Nations do him distinct dis
service and pay him sorry compli-
ynent. I speak, of course, solely
from the public utterances of our
candidate. and these utterances make
plain beyond cavil that when Senator
Harding Is President he will not
take the United States into the
league.
MILITARY ALLIANCE.
He characteristics the League ss a
military alliance which menaces peace
and threatens all freedom He called
II the supreme blunder' and asserted
that he would leave America free, in
dependent and self.reliant, but offer
ing friendship to all the world SEN
ator Harding has solemnly said:
awe know now that the League
constituted at Versailles is utterly
impotent as a preventive of wars. 1t
liz so obviously impotent that IL has
not even been tried. 1t could not
survive a single test The original
League, mistakenly conceived and
unreasonably insisted upon, has, I'M
doubtedly passed beyond the period
of restoration. The maturer judg-
ment of the world will be that 1t de-
served to pass for the simple reason
that, contrary to all the tendencies
developed by the civilizing processes
Of the world, IL rested upon the power
of might. not of right
II am unable to understand the in
tenectual processes which can misin-
terpret or misconstrue these words
and 1 do not appreciate the friend
ship OF individuals who still insist
chat the words are meaningless and
that Senator Harding intends some