The Washington herald., 1920-12-20
HARDINCPLAN
LEANS TO new
LEAGUE UNION
Rejection of Present Pact
Wholly, Said to Be
View.
MAY SUBMIT NEW
IDEAS IN MARCH
WadswOrth Visits Mar
ion. Predicts Action Be
fore Midsummer.
by SAMUEL w. BELL.

MARION. Ohio. Dec. ls-The
Harding administration almost i'm
mediately upon its Inauguration will
be in position to submit a plan for
an association of nations, acceptable
to the United States and to which
the other nations of the world will
be asked and expected to subscribe.
The program for a new interna-
tional agreement thus submitted,
will be based on a world court for
the settlement of justiciable ques-
tions and a world forum not dis
similar to the old Hague tribunal
for discussion and determination of
questions of policy, such as disarm-
ament. All the political features Of
the covenant of the league of ma
tions and the obligations imposed
upon members by the executive and
legislative functions. now vested in
the council and the assembly of the
league, will be terminated.
President-elect Harding, it can
be said definitely, has reached a de-
cision upon these general features,
a decision formulated in accord
with the almost unanimous opinion
of prominent Republicans and Dem
ocrats who have conferred with
him since his return to Marion. 1t
is clearly apparent that nothing
short of rejection of the obligations
of the league of nations will be
considered. In the words of Sena-
tor Harding's now famous Des
Moines speech during the campaign,
1t is mot modification or amend
ment" of these obligations that the
President-elect and his counsellors
are seeking. but rejection"
wadsworth Confers With Harding.
Senator James Wadsworth, of
New York, who like Harding, voted
for adoption of the treaty with
the so-called Lodge reservations
and whose views on the league is
sue have always been in harmony
with the President-elect, arrived in
Marion today and his comments on
the question, after a three-hour
conference with Senator Harding,
further confirmed the conclusion
that developments had taken this
general definite turn.
For myself" said Senator Wads-
worth, II think that in any associa-
tion of nations in which the United
States would be willing to particle
pate the judicial feature should be
supreme with the political features
eliminated entirely. The United
United States at least should not be
subjected to any political obliga-
tions."
1t was the opinion of Senator wads-
worth that. the United States should
be willing to take the initiative in
putting forward a program for a new
world agreement. He suggests that
this might be done through diplo-
matte conversations begun after the
announcement of Americas plan and
designed to sound out the other ma
tions regarding their readiness to
cooperate. 1t was not unlikely, he
indicated. that the world would be
ready for a new peace conference"
in Washington not later than three
or four months after March 4 next.
There also are unmistak able signs
that the incoming administration
will not be inclined TO subscribe to
the provisions of the peace treaty
even if they can be considered inde-
pendent of the covenant, interviewer
with them. Many of the settlements
Of Versailles have been found as
Objectionable as the obligations of
the covenant itself. These details,
however. have not been worked out
and there is disposition to believe
that other nations, more interested
directly in many of the settlements
than the United States, will them
tions.
CCopyriKht 1920, Public I.d~.r Cay