Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-09-08

delegation at Marion.
Marion, o. Especial -.Senator War
rem G. Harding, Republican nominee
for President, In speech delivered to
delegation from Indiana which called
on him here to pledge the support OF
Indiana Republicans, declared that
twice President Wilson had an oppor
,tunity to obtain ratification Of the
League of Nations covenant and that
he put ratification aside because he
would not accept reservations designed
solely to safeguard American rights
Senator Harding said:
II greet you In spirit Of rejoicing
not rejoicing In the narrow personal
or partisan sense, not in the gratifying
prospects Of party triumph; not in the
contemplation of abundance In the
harvest fields and ripening corn fields
nd maturing orchards; not In the re-
surfing approach of stability after a
Rod Of wiggling and wobbling which
gnified our uncertainty-though all
;hese are ample for our wide re-
'ng-but I rejoice that America is
free and Independent and in po-
IN of self-reliance and holds to the
Of self-determination, which are
ess possessions In the present
'ence of the world.
us suppose the senate had rat
he peace treaty containing the
covenant as submitted to II by
,sident In July of last year,
'ould be the situation confront
common country today? To
there is but one answer Be
day we would have been
Jon to fulfil the obligations
had assumed under Article
. league covenant, to preserve
itorial integrity of-Poland as
external aggression
ympathy for Poland.
IL not now attempt to meas
bOundless sympathy for the
rations and restored independ-
Poland. Our present concern
International situation which
las brought to our attention.
council of the League of Ma
ould have reasoned, and rea-
Directly, that the United States
furnish the munitions and, IL
.ry, the men to withstand the
advancing from Russia far
silly than could the exhausted
of Europe. Moreover, mas
this would be the first test
heme of world government
formulated and demanded
resident, speaking for the
ties, the fact of special
y, resting upon our should,
tly would have been I'M
Undoubtedly the league
advising upon the means
he obligations to Poland
fulfilled, as provided in the
would have so held, and
the conscience of America,
the opinion Of the world,
We sustained that judgment.
conclusion that our country
Jw be confronted by such a
1, IL the senate had ratified
ague covenant, requires no
Of the imagination. None can
hat II Is possible. To many
minds, as to my own, such a
ssing situation will seem high
obable. Let us assume that the
hcation had taken place. Let us
lme, further, that the performance
the allotted task required the wag-
ng of war upon the Russian people,
as, Of course, II would, what would
result; what would of necessity have
10 result? Nothing necessarily, we
are glibly Informed, since only the
Congress can declare war, and the
Congress might reject the appeal Of
the executive. But would the Congress
do that? Could the Congress do that
without staining indelibly the honor
of the nation?
Answer 10 "No."
II answer No. and say II not on
my own authority alone. Back of my
Judgment stands the President OF the
United States. Upon that point there
IS first-hand information. In the course
of the discussion which took place at
the meeting of the President and the
Senate Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions / raised the question by stating
n hypothetical case precisely analogous
TO that which | have depicted, and then
inquired whether We might not right
fully be regarded as a perfdlous peo-