Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-08
CANDIDATES Join
0NMAK|NGLEAGUE
ISSUE E|NCAMPA|GN
Harding Declares FIatIy He
Opposes Paris PIan-Cox
Supports 1t.

The issue over the Paris league OF
nations has been finally joined be-
tween the republican and demo
cratic candidates for the presidency
Senator Harding. the republican
nominee, in an address in Des Moines
yesterday, declared that he was
against going into that Ieague-tha,
he was seeking the rejection Of the
Paris world league. not the entry OF
the United States into that league
with reservations.
bearer, on the other hand, has an
nounced unequivocally that he favors
going in" the Paris league, without
reservations. except those that are
merely clarifying.
In the opinion Of some political OBJ
servers in Washington today the
question has resolved itself into the
single proposition - shall the United
States go into the Paris league of ma
tions or shall it stay out Of any league
or association Of nations?
Predicted by johnson.
This is what Senator Hiram Johnson
of California, Senator Borah of Idaho
and others Of the irreconcilable group
in the Senate demanded months ago,
and what they predicted would come
about They strongly urged that the
republican party take it's stand square,
ly against the entry of the United
or without reservations.
While the public speeches Of Senator
Harding since his nomination for Pres
ident have been to the effect that he
was opposed to going into the league
of nations as presented by the Presi-
dent, the democrats and some of the
irreconcilable opponents of the league
among the republicans hitherto have
not been satisfied.
The charge was made that Mr..
Harding was carrying water on both
shoulders. in an effort to hold the
votes of both the irreconcilable group
in the party, represented by Johnson,
of Taft, Wickersham and others who
believe that the United States should
enter the Paris league with safe
guarding reservations, or should
frame a new association of nations.
which should differ radically from
that negotiated at Paris.
In fact, about ten days ago, shortly
after Elihu Root, former senator. had
returned from Europe. where he
worked on the formation of the inter-
national court, which is to function
under the league of nations, Senator
Borah was so dissatisfied with the
and feared that in the end
the republican candidate might be
to support the league with
that he notified the re-
publican national committee not to
make any more speaking engage
ments for him.
Effect Remains to BE Seen.
What the effect Of Senator Hard
ing's address will be upon the repub-
lican voters who desire the United
States to enter the Paris league with
reservations or to negotiate a. new
league or association of nations re-
mains to be seen. Many Of these men
do not admit that the issue is clean
cut between entrance by the United
States into the Paris world league
and American isolation. They be-
lieve that the issue is merely for or
against the particular form of world
league negotiated at Paris. and they
hold that in the event of the election
of Senator Harding as President, the
United States government, the execu-
tive and legislative branches cooper
ating, will take up the question of
peace treaty and world association
and dispose of it on lines that will
recognize all international obliga-
tionS.
And the only question they concede
to be determined by the election of
Harding as President is that there
must be no American participation
in the particular league negotiated
at Paris.