New-York tribune., 1920-08-30
Harding Speech
Draws League
Issue to Point
Partisans on Both Sides
Agree That Address Has
Clarified Questions ON
Which Campaign Depends
Cox Views Now Awaited
Friends of Covenant Fear
Adherence to Wilson's
Policy Means ID e f e a {
BY Carter Field

by Narter ricld
WASHINGTON, Aug. 29.--Epery on
in Washington agrees that Senate
Harding has clarified the League o
Nations issue in the present campaign
Violently partisan supporters of boil
Harding and Cox professed pleasur,
to-day at the issue being more sharpl,
drawn. Among observers who are no
SO intensely interested on either sid,
there is feeling that Harding's posi-
tion is now known certainly, and de
sire to- hear more from Governor Cox
Cox's position on the League of Ma
tions is not a certainty in the opinion
of most observers in Washington. The.
cannot put their fingers on it. There
are many of his adherents, and some
of his opponents, who loudly assert
that such and such is his position, but
their words have not carried much con
viction.
First Statement Pleased Friends
Governor Cox started with state
ment that rather pleased most real
friends of the League here, as distin-
guished from the rule or ruin friends
of the Administration, who would have
the League ratified without any reser-
vations at all, or reservations which
really did not reserve anything and
thus belied their name This original
statement was that he wanted two
reservations, one in particular about
Article x.
This statement, however, was late,
modified by his visit to the White
,oJ
he and the President were "at one
about the treaty. Later it was still
further modified by his selection Of
Senator Gilbert M. Hitchcock, who led
the Administration group in the Senate
which voted to reject the treaty with
the Lodge reservations and insisted on
only "interpretative" reservations. as
his spokesman for joint debate on the
League at Winona Lake, Ind.
His latest indication of his position
on the League was his selection of
Senator Hitchcock as chief "instructor'
for the orators school on the League
to be established in New York in a
few days so that all the Democratic
orators will tell the same story on
the League issue.
Senate Will Not Ratify Wilson League
Coxs position on the league is &C
cepted by some as being exactly in har-
mony. with that of the President. If
this is correct the true friends of the
league recognize that his election would
make it impossible for the United
States to enter the league, since by no
possibility can a Senate be elected
wnIchawould ratify such league.
me election of every Democrat run
ugf2 Nthe Senate this fall would
- 4, e-ssna fOemocrats only sixty-two in
thirds majority. And this sixtv-two
would include Reed, Shields. Walsh and
several others who would not vote for
ratincation without reservations which
certainly could not be classified as in
terpretative. All
II this position Of Cox be accented
as correct. as many think it is. the
true friends of the league are driven
20 nope that Harding will be elected
1or at least he is after sometime
which may be possible. t'
Predict Cox's independence.
But there are supporters of Cox
here who do not admit that his pos;.
Ion is that occupied by Wilson and
Hitchcock. They concede the value
OF the testimony to that effect. but
contend that this is due not to con
vlctlon but to political expediency
ana ana mat once Cox is in the White
house he will not bother any more
with President Wilson or Senator
Hitchcock than President Wilson him.
self did with Colonels Watterson and
Harvey i'0'' anu
When this view is presented to the
lrlends OF the League, however, the,
protest that such an argument is ask
ing them to take too much of q iumr
IN the dark. They concede the reason
ableness of the contention that once
IN the White House Cox might do as
he 'pleases about the League. or fol
that matter forget all about 1t. but
meanwhile they would like very much
having some definite promise from him
made in public to the people of the
country, stating precisely how far he
would go IN accepting reservations not
merely lnterpretative, particularly or
Article X, on immigration, on the Mon
roe Doctrine and on withdrawal.
Hardlng's position on the League. as
set forth in his speech printed tHis
morning, is much more satisfactory tc
those hopeful of some association OF
nations in the interest of world peace
than 1T would probably have been g
lew months ago, as many of them ad
mitted to-day
For instance, had it been made prio,
70 the publlc statements of Lloye
george ana other European leaders
or had 1t been made prior to the Polisl
crisis, which demonstrated that afte,
all the league did not prevent wars
and illustrated the extreme dificnjt,
or getting the unanimity required fo1
any action to prevent war, it woulc
ao' nave been so satisfactory.