Norwich bulletin., 1920-12-18
HARDING FORMING PLAN FOR
 ASSOCIATION OF NATIONS

Marion, O., Dec. 17.-With his plan for an association of nations assuming more definite form, President-elect Harding took into his confidence today three con | spicuous democrats-William Jennings Bryan, James W. Gerard and James 4. Reed-and asked their advice and their aid in fashioning a program behind which the nations can unite.
 All three came as invited guests of the president-elect, and their consultations with him were surrounded With an air of warm cordiality. Afterward Mir Bryan, taking the lead in expressing qualification at the days developments declared his faith in MT Hardirg as an honest and conscientious public servant whom the whole people would trust
 The former secretary of state also an- nounced that he Tad found himself in agreement with the president-elect on 'fundamentals' and added that he took hopeful view of the conferences here to evolve plan for world peace.
 MT Gerard, former American amnas- sador to Germany and during the last campaign actively connected with the democratic national committee, joined with MT. Bryan in expressing satisfaction l at the scope of the association of nations conferences. Senator Reed reserved | judgment of the outline of an association plan laid before Eim by the president i elect, but declared himself delighted that one so irreconcilably opposed to the \ sailles covenant and to foreign entangie- ments generally she uld should have been | invited to MT. Harding's councn table. None of them would discuss in detail
 the subjects touched on in their talks wit hthe president-elect, but it became known that something more than scat tered collection of suggestions was offer l ed for their scrutiny IL is understood that although MT. Harding's plan still is
 far from complete, his talks with leading
 men has given hi mthe basis of a scheme
 of world cooperation which hie is hopeful will be practicable and acceptable to the nation. In his talks today MT. Harding
 is understood to have declared a particu- lar desire that in the end the proposal
 should have no tinge of partisanship
 After his conference with MT. Bryan. the president-elect accompanied his guest
 to a meeting of the laymen of the Marion Presbytery %I delivered from a flag draped pulpit short sermon on the need for national reconsecration to the re- iligious tenets of the fathers He de- clared that in the preesnt world turnult
 and in the search for way to end war
 no element was so much needed as a deer
 seated religious faith.
 ''I don't intend 70 come as the finest
 exemplar of what we ought to be- said
 MT. Harding, but I rejoice in the in-
 heritance of a religious belief, and don't
 mind saying that I gladly go to God Al
 mighty for guidance and strength in the
 responsibilities that are coming to me" In the suggestion that the association
 of nations nlan be divested of all parti- san color, the president-elcct found him. self in perfect accord with MT Bryan who made an active fight to keep the league issue out of the recent campaign T believe that MT. Harding is not only an honest and conscientious man. sait MT. Bryan after the conference but I be ] ieve he is a man whose whcle purpose i: to do what he believes is best for the : American people. It isn't expected, O 2 course, that everybody will agree as tC s what is best, but I believe that if a ma1 r wanas to do that, and if the tis all O
 his purpose, the people will trust him ant
 be hopeful
 The former secretary was Luncheon
 guest at the Harding home and Senate Reed was entertained by the president ei"ct and Mrs. Harding at dinner and re : mained in conference in Mr. Harding U office until late at right
 . Other callers on the president-eIect fi,,r + ing the day included Harry M. Daugher = ty his pre-conventicn manager; James A
 Darden of New York, another acti, e ore s convention supporter, and James SDeye1 :. the New York ffnancier. Mr Daughert e recently has been iT consultat tior with re . publican leaders in the east and is under = stood to have brought MT. Harding con 4 siderable information and advice abou "a caolnet appointments and other subject. t MT Speyer discussed conditions in Mexico u where he has large outstanding loans -j In his talk at the Presbyterv mcetin ' Mir Harding included all sects in hi :, tribute to church influence, and declare la l1 freedom of religion the bulwark C Id American liberty.