The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1920-10-01

49, S'''+Ftfe ~ 'tttl ~ /
Mirion. .. (Special)-Senator War
Ten &. Harding, l3cpuh|lean nominee
lar President. in u speech delivered 10
a delegation from Indiana which called
nn hlm ltote IN pledge the support of
Hndjala ltrpNflirnns, declared that
twice President Wilson had AN oppor-
tunitN 70 obtain ratification Ut The
League of Nations covenant and HAT
he put ratification aside because he
: would hol accept reservations designed
solely ~ Safeguard American rights.
Senator Harding said:
Il greet You in a spirit Of rejoicing;
mot 4 rejoicing in The narrow personal
or partisan sense, not in Tie gratifying
prospects orpartN triumph: Ia q in the
contemplation Of abundance III the
harvest fields and ripenin@ corn fields
and maturing orchards: not Ia The re
assuring approach Of stability after a
period of Migglin" and Wohbiin2 which
ntagnified our Observation-Disclosures all
of these are ample for our side re-
ioicing-but | rejoice that America Is
still free and independent and in IA itp-
sition af self-reliance and holds to the
ri-Et nf INSTRUMENTATION. which are
priceless possessions in the present
turbulence Of tie world.
LEI rs suppose the senate bad rat
if'ef the peace treaty containing the
league covenant as submitted 10 it by
he president in July Of last wear.
Y,l..t ,.Aat1 ~. ~. :, -
ing our common country today? To
my mind there is hui one answer. Be
fore this day we would have been
called upon 20 fulfil the obligations
which We had assumed under Article
~ Of the league covenant. to preserve
'he territorial integrity of Poland AS
against external aggression
Sympathy for Poland.
II shall not now att-lutt TO meas
ure the holiidirsS sympathy for The
just aspirations and restored independ-
s.nce Of Poland. our present concern !
Is The international situation which
Poland has brought IL our attention.
The council Of The League of Ma
tions would have reasoned. and rea-
sOned correctly. tltai the United States |
could furnish the munitions and. if
necessary. the mel to withstand the
hoieles advancing from Russia far
more easily than could the exhausted
nations OF Europe. Moreover. mas
much rs This would be the first Test
If the scheme of world government
which was formulated and demanded
Nv ft,A lbp.-tlA.f n,.i. FfA, slN !
United States. The fact If n special
responsibility. resting upon our should
ers. manifeSllt would have been un- |
deniahle. In%doubtedl, the league
councis. In advising upon the means |
by which the obligations Ia Poland
should be fulfilled. rs provided IN the
covenant. would have SO held. nnl
probably the conscience Of America.
certainly the opinion Of the world.
would have sustained that Judgment.
The conclusion that our Country
might now he confronted by Slcl. II
situation. if the ennte had ratified
the league covenant. requires no
stretch of The imagination. None can
deny that ii Is possible. In many
candid minds. AS IL my own. suclf a
distressing situation will Seem high
~ probable. Let MS assume that the
ratification had taken I,iace. Let liz
assume, further, that the performance
of the allotted task required the wag-
ing 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 glibiy informed. since only the
Congress can declare war, and the
Congress might reject the appeal ~
the executive. But would the Congress
do that? Could the Congress do that
without staining indeIibly the honor
Of the natinn?
Answer 10 mo"
II answer No and | say II not on
my " authority alone. Back Of my
Judgment stands the President NJ the
United States. Upon that point there
Is hrst-hand information. In the course
Of the discussion which took place at
the meeting OF the President and the
Senate Committee mn Foreign Reia.
tions | raised the question by statia
4 Hypothetical case precisely anaiogo
tn that which have depicted. ana II
inquired whether we might not re
fully be regarded VI ! pernA!0u5 ?