New-York tribune., 1920-10-19

resentatives here of the turn political
and domestic events are taking 1t
was said that the State Department is
constantly receiving from American
formation on the political and eco
nonlic situation in capitals to which
they are assigned, and that similar in
telligence was being forwarded to for
eign governments by their representa-
tives here.
In this connection the rumor was
recalled to-day that during the period
that Viscount Grey was assigned to
the British Embassy here he was re-
fused the privilege of presenting his
credentials at the White House be-
cause he had informally sought the
view of certain Senator'S on the League
of Nations 1t was likewise recalled
that upon his return to London Wis
count Grey without hesitation wrote
a letter to The Times expressing his
personal view that the league would
not be accepted by the American SEN
ate without substantial reservations
President Wilson'S letter to Senator
Harding recalled disclosures made by
Republican members of the Foreign
Relations Committee Of the Senate last
January that officials high in the ooun-
ellis of France and Great Britain mad
"unofficially' and "informally" told the
Senate leaders during the second tre2*Y
battle that their governme would
gladly accept any reservations to the
Versailles treaty that the Senate OF
the United States might insist upon.
At the time it was denied emphati
cally at the White House that either
the French or the British government
had so notified the Senator's but later
it developed that Senator Gilbert NJ.
,+,1a IL, 1f Nokc ,LN ln1 +po
Presidents fight for unreserved rati-
fcation of the treaty by the Senate, sat
in on the unofficial" and "infor
NAL" conferences, and the matter was
dropped.
Senator Lodge, chairman of the For
elgn Relations Committee, declared on
the floor of the Senate during the de-
bate in the second treaty fight in that
body that he had received assurances
from both France and Great Britain
that those countries would accept any
reservations the Senate might adopt.
The story behind the assertions was
never brought out in the Senate, but
was generally discussed in the Senate
cloakrooms a the time
Failure to Receive Grey
President Wilson'S failure to receive
Niscount Grey socially as Ambassador
from Great Britain to the United States
figured largely in the episode. Accord
ing TO the stories told by Senators at
the time, the "unofficial" and "informal'
assurances from Great Britain and
France were given the members of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
at reception held at the British En-
rassy last January.
The list of guests included all of
the prominent officials of the American
government, the diplomatic representa-
tives in Washington, members of the
Cabinet, leaders in the Senate and
House Of Representa- tives, and all Of
the members of the Senate Foreign Re-
]ations Committee
During the reception the ratitica-
tion of the treaty, which was then
under consideration before an informal
bipartisan committee of the Senate,
naturally was discussed whenever two
or more of the guests got together 1t
developed later--and some of the par
ticipants frankly discussed what oc-
curred--that Lord Grey, M. Jusserand,
the French Ambassador, and Andre
Tardieu, head of the French High
Commission, expressed as their per-
sonal opinions to most of the Republl-
can members of the Foreign Relations
Committee and to Senator Hitchcock
as we'll that their governments would
gladly accept any reservations the
Senate might adopt.
The impression brought back to the
Senate by those who attended the re-
ception was that both Great Britain
and France were so desirous of getting
the United States to join some sort of
an international league whose object
was the preservation of peace that they
we're willing to throw aside the League
of Nations as signed at Versailles in
order to secure the support of the
United States to whatever international
organization the Senate of the United
States might favor.
Within three weeks after the recep-
tion-on February /. 1920 -Niscount
Grey's letter to The Times upholdne
she Lodge reservations was published
same out then.
Return of French Enjoys
Attention was called to-day to the
iact that NJ Jusserand returned to
France shortly after the Grey letter
was published, and Nj. Tardieu, who
had participated in the peace confer
ence and later returned to the United
States, also went back to France
Senator Harding, it was recalled. was
member of the Foreign Relations
Committee, and had full Knowledge of
all that transpred at the reception at
the British Embassy,
The story of what happened at the
reception was so frequently printed at
the time that it was announced "un-
officially" at the White House that as
surances had been received that the
french gov vsrnment had not officially
snformed ttc Foreign Relations Com
Jjittee thai the Lodge reservations
sere cNctAble to it.
Pressdent Wilson's move in question
ing Sens.Nr Harding as to the identity
II the representative of France" who
tne Republican nominee said informed
h N THAI Vance was willing to ioin
in new society of nations was re-
garded by those familiar with what
transpired last January as nothing
more than a safe political play hy
Mr.. Wilson.
Senator Harding could not proclaim
the identity of the Frenchman with
whom he had discussed matters be-
cause of diplomatic ethics, and he is
expected to announce in this city that
the Frcnchman discussed the matter
with him in an informal way The
PRESIDENT on the other hand nm