Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-10-19
President Also Writes Can
didate, Asking If He Is
Correctly Quoted.
SAYS SPEECH GIVES RISE TO
EXTRAORDINARY INFERENCE
Republican Candidate Replies,
Disclaiming Any Impropriety
by French Government.
HIS. STATEMENT
Declares Private French Citizens
Approached Him as to New
Association OF Nations.
tBy Associated Prcss.l

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1S.-president
Wilson took steps today to ascertain
whether the French government had
given authority TO "a representative
of France" to approach Senator Hard
ing informally" with tho request
that the Republican presidential nom
inec take the lead in the formation
of an association of nations
At the same time the White House
made public tho text of letter adj
dressed to Senator Harding by Presi-
dent Wilson inquirinE as to the cor
rectpess of statement attributed TO
the Senator in dispatch dated st.
Louis, October 16, in which the candi-
date was quoted as having said ho
had been SO approached.
"Extraordiuary Inference
81 need not point out TO you,' the
President wrote, the grave and e%-g
traordinary inferencesi to be drawn
from such a statement. namely. that
the government of France. which is
member OF the league of nations.
approached private citizen of ma
ton which Is not n member OF the
league with request that the
United States lead the way to world
fraternity
Neither officials n the White House
nor al the State Department would
comment on the nature Of the IN
quiry directed to the French govern
ment 1t was understood. however.
that the note was transmitted by the
state Department to the French gov
ernment through Ambassador Wal
lace in Paris. At the French embassy
it was stated that no such communi-
cation had been received there for
transmission.
Secretary Tumulty said that no re-
ply had been received by the White
House from the French government
up to n late hour.
Text OF Presidents Letter.
The Presidents inquiry was con-
tanned In letter given out today at
the White House. The letter follows:
My Dear Sir: In the New York
Times of yesterday. Sunday. October
IL. 1920. 1 find dispatch dated ST.
Louis. October l6. which purports TO
report recent public utterances OF
yours In 1t occurs the following:
Replying TO criticism OF his PRO-
poshl Tor an association OF nations.
ne SAID in rear platform speech al
"reeh castle, Ind, that he already had
been approached informally bv
representative of France. who asSca
that the United States lead tho way
TO world fraternity
Il write to ask il this is n corr,c,
quotation and if YOU really said wha,
is there accredited to you need
not point out to you the grave ana
extraordinary inferences to be drawn
from such a statement. namely. that
Inc government OF France. which is
member OF the League OF Nations.
approached private citizens of a ma
tion which is not member of the
league with request that the United
States lead the way to n world fra
ternity The Department OF State
has always found the government O,
France most honorably mindful of it's
international obligations and pune
tiliously careful to observe all the
proprieties of international inter
course.
II hesitate, therefore. to draw the
inference TO which ] have referred.
unless am assured by you that you
actually made this statement Very
truly yours.
(signeD WOODROW WILSON"