The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1920-05-26
CONGRESS IS ASKED
TO Make CHOICE
Harding Declares Foreign Relations
Committee Will Oppose
Proposition.
"A VERY CRITICAL CHOICE"
Armenian Resolution Recently Adopt
ed by Senate Is Cited by Presi'
dent.

Washington, May 24.-Authority to
accept for the United States a mandate
over Armenia was asked of Congress
today by President Wilson. The Exec
utive said he was conscious that he
was urging "a very critical choice"
but that he did 80 "in the earnest be-
lief that it will be the wish of the
people Of the United States that this
should be DONE"
( The Presidents message was read In
both the House and Senate, but was
discussed in neither. Each house re-
ferred it to its committee on foreign
relations and there was no indication
when either committee would take it
up. Some Republican leaders in the
Senate predicted privately that the
message would lie in the Senate COM
mittee indefinitely.
Senator Lodge Silent.
Senator Lodge, Of Massachusetts,
the Republican leader and chairman of
te Senate committee, ad no comment
to make on te Executives recommen-
dations. In the past, however, he has
declared emphatically his opposition
to g mandate.
Senator Harding, Republican, Ohio,
chairman of the committee which in
vestigated Armenia affairs, said he
would never consent to taking man.
date over Armenia and added that he
did not think the Senate would con-
sent.
"The foreign relations committee, y
he said, "was almost unanimous
against a mandate, Democrats as we'll
as Republicans opposing such step"
Senator Harding is the author of the
resolution recently adopted by the
Senate. congratulating the Armenian
people on the recognition of their in
dependence and asking the President
to send a warship and American mar
ines to Baku. President Wilson referr-
ed to this resolution in his message to-
day, but Senators pointed out that this
measure was adopted as a substitute
for one by Senator Williams, Demo-
crat, Mississippi, proposing that the
United States become the mandatory
for Armenia.
The President, in his message in
forme dthe Senate that he had accept
ed the invitation of the Allied supreme
council that he undertake "to arbi-
trate the very difficult questions of
the boundary between Turkey and Ar
menia," saying he had thought it his
duty "to accept this difficult and deli
cate task"
=. Would Waiver Provisions
Provisions for mandates over form
er subject peoples is made in treaty
Of Versailles and it is set forth that
such mandates shall be executed under
the league of nations, but since the
United States is not member of the
league, administration officials said
that if Congress decided that the
United States should act for Armenia
the treaty provisions would be waived
in this case.
The question Of mandate over Ar
j menia was discussed at length in the
report of the American mission to Ar
menia, headed by Maj. General Har-
bord which recently was presented to
the Senate. Gen. Harbord estimated
that acceptance of the mandate would
neccssitatc the presence of $4,000
American troops there. Other esti-
mates, however, have placed it at less
once the Turkish army had been de-.
mobilized in accordance with the terms
Of the Turkish treaty.
Protection of Liberties.
After citing the Harding resolution
expressing "the hope that stable gov
ernment, proper protection of individ-
ual liberties and the full realization
of nationalistic aspiration may soon
be attained by the Armenian people"
the Pres 'ent's communication con-
tinued:
"I received and read this document
with great interest ana with genuine
qualification, not only because it en-
bodies my own convictions and dealing
with regard to Armenia and it's people,
but also, and 'lorc particularly, be.
cause it seemed to me the voice Of the