The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1920-09-09

Marion, Ohio Especially - Senator
Warren g. Harding, Republican nomi-
nee for President, In speech delivered
to delegation from Indiana which
called on him here to pledge the sup
port Of Indiana Republicans, declared
that twice President Wilson had an OPP
portunity to obtain ratification of the
League of Nations covenant, and that
he put ratification aside because he
would not accept reservations designed
solely to safeguard American rights.
Senator Harding said:
Il greet you in spirit of rejoicing;
not rejoicing In the narrow personal
or partisan sense, not In the gratifying
prospects OF party triumph; not in the
contemplation bf abundance in the har-
vest fields and ripening corn fields and
maturing orchards; not In the reassur-
ing approach OF stability after period
of wiggling and webbing which mag
ndfied our uncertainty--though all of
these are ample for our wide rejoicing
but | rejoice that America is still
free and independent and in position
OF self reliance and holds to the right
OF self determination, which are price.
less possessions in the present turbu-
lence of the world.
Let us suppose the Senate had rati
fed the peace treaty containing the
League covenant as submitted to II
by the President in July OF last year.
what would be the situation confront
ing our common country today? To
my mind there Is but one answer. Be-
fore this day We would have been
called upon Up fulfill the obligations
winch we had assumed under Article
10 of the League covenant to preserve
the territorial integrity of Poland as
against external aggression.
u snail not now attempt to measure
the boundless sympathy for the just
aspirations and restored independence
OF Poland. Our present concern is the
international situation which Poland
has brought to our attention.
The council Of the League OF Ma
tions would have reasoned, and rea
soned correctly, that the United States
could furnish the munitions and, II
necessary, the men to withstand the
hordes advancing from Russia far
more easily than could the exhausted
nations Of Europe. Moreover, inasmuch
as this would be the first test of the
scheme of world government which
was formulated and demanded by the
President. speaking for the United
States, the fact of special RESPONSE
bility, resting upon our shoulders.
manifestly would have been undeniable.
Undoubtedly the League Council, in
advising upon the means by which the
obligations to Poland should be full
filled, as provided In the covenant,
would have sd held, and probably the
conscience of America, certainly the
opinion of the world. would have sus-
tanned that Judgment.
sThe conclusion that our country
might now beconfronted by such sit
uation, II the Senate had ratified the
League covenant, requires no stretch
OF the imagination. None can deny
that 1t is possible. To many candid
minds, as to my own, such a distress
ing situation win seem highly probable.
Let us assume that the ratification had
taken place. Let us assume, further,
that the performance of the allotted
task required the waging of war upon
the Russian people, as of course, 1t
would, what would result: what would
OF necessity have to result? Nothing
necessarily, we are glibly informed,
since only the Congress can declare
- =
war, and the Congress might reject the
appeal OF the executive, but would the
Congress do that? Could the Congress
DO that without staining indelibly the
honor OF the nation?
Il answer No. and l say 1t not on
my own authority alone. Back of my
Judgment stands the President OF the
United States. Upon that point there
Is nrst hand information. In the
course OF the discussion which took
place at the meeting Of the President
and the Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations ! raised the question by stat
ing hypotht. ical case precisely anal.
ogous to that which l have depicted.
and then incurred whether we might
not rightfully be regarded as perfidi>
GUS people If we should fail to contrib
ute an armed force IL called upon to
do so. The President frst replied, as
thought, somewhat evasively, that we
would he our own judges as to whether
we were obliged In those circumsta acrs
to act in that way or not. Pressed
to~ther. however. in response to a e,ies-y