New-York tribune., 1920-06-15
Harding and the League

preserve the peace of the world. One
OF the sages of the party, Elihu
Root, is now, on the invitation Of
our allies, on his way to Europe to
participate in a conference whose
plain objective is to make the United
States, as soon after March next
as is feasible, a member of league.
The party thus goes into the cam
paign committed to action, although
it would be, of course, unreasonable
to ask any man to pledge himself to
approve document not yet written.
To exact such a pledge would be to
repeat, as Senator Borah has urged,
President Wilson'S error of demand
ing signatures to a similar blank
check.
SO much for platform and party.
How stands the candidate? What is
Senator Harding's attitude and what
has been his record?
Passing over his hearty indorse-
ment of the platform, sufficient
answer is furnished by the address
he delivered in the Senate on No
vember 10 last, just before the first
vote on ratification. The Senator
declared in favor Of Americas entry
into the league Of nations, and to
that end. as we'll as to preserve to
this country liberty of action and to
prevent the executive department
upsetting the Constitution by usurp-
ing the sole treaty making function,
voted for ratification with the Lodge
reservations. In March, on the sec
ond treaty vote, he was recorded the
same way, and on numerous oc-
casions has spoken in favor Of join
ing the league, the burden Of his
criticism against the President being
that the President has effectively
prevented such entry.
In his speech Of November 10,
speaking of the many discussions in
the Foreign Relations Committee,
Senator Harding declared "there
was not a member of the Senate and
there was but one man in the United
States who did not know this treaty
could never be ratified without reser-
vations." No one challenging this
statement, the Senator went on tc
say that the committee devoted itself
to working out reservations which
would safeguard the interests Of the
United States, and thus make
ratification possible" Not in hos
tility to entry into a league were
the reservations born, but in friend
ship thereto.
AS to his personal attitude ane
conditions as they existed in the Sen
ate, Senator Harding spoke as fol
lows:
an the Senate there are four dis
tinct schools of thought in dealing
with this treaty: One is the uncondi
tional ratification school, those VIII
either through their own conscien
tious convictions or the lash of tn
Executive choose as you will-wan
this treaty ratified without a slngl
modification or reservation. That i
Group No i. In direct opposition i
the so-called irreconcilable grouI
those who are unaltcrably oppose
TO any ratification. That is Group
The third is the group to which
choose to belong, if I may, who ar
agreed to bring about the ratifca
tion OF this treaty IL they are con
v!nced that reservations have bee
adopted which are sufficient to safe
guard the interests Of the Unite
States Of America. There still re
mans another group, or rather
group within group, popularl
known as the mild rescrvationists
those who are anxious to ratify. VIII
arc anxious TO safeguard the inte,
ests of this Republic, but at tho sam
time desire TO make the reservation
as little offensive az possible to thos
who assumed to negotiate the treat
in contempt Of the Senate.
Owe have had the four groups
deal with, and in the progress OF tt
debate and after much discussion "
have finally come to an understand
ing on tbis side alone, because G
the other side there were those wh
took the position that there could
no reservations at all and have az
commodatcd our differences to Tn
extent that the majority has agree
upon program Of rcscrYations"
The quotation speaks for itsel
and in such fashion that Tn
Tribune regrets ~ note that It
nelghbor The World has apparentl
already launched on campaign t
nisreprcHent Senator Harding.
charges him with "obposing tn
league at every turn in the fight"
IL Senator Harding is guilty, the,