The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-11-04
Story of Telegram From Her.
: bert Hoover and Candi-
dates Reply.
LIKE LINCOLN CAMPAIGN
Both Positions on League
Like r. r. Ticket-void
If Detached.

This article by Marx Sullivan not
only makes clear President. elect
Hardinn's position as TO q league
Of nations but reveals what 10 one
Of the most Interesting unwritten
tells for the first time the real
facts back OF the so.caiied Borah
detection at the height OF the cam.
tsy MARX SULLIVAN National 20.
ItlcaI corfespo ndent.)
New York, Nov. 4.--The league OF
us and Is 80 surely destined to remain
with us that the feelings of most per-
sons at this temporary resting point
could probably be expressed accurately
in the tired but still good-natured
query. OF the doughboy song. Where
Do We Go From Here?"
Where we shall go from here is
in IT, hands of President elect Hard
ing and of the senate. As to what
the newly elected senate feels about
the league OF nations and as to what
action Il is likely to take. I shall say
some pains to find out the position
on the league Of nations taken by
each candidate for the senate in the
various states. compilation of these
platforms of individual senators will
show in the aggregate about what the
be on the league.
AS TO what Senator Harding's post
ton win be there need be no doubt
/ am well aware that large part OF
the discussion In the recent campaign
rested upon the assumption that Hard
ing's position is In doubt. Neverthe-
less, | am very confident that Hard
ing's position is, and always has been,
the position which he expressed with
particular care in his Aug. 81 speech.
That position, by the way, comedies
exactly with a position which he took
in a speech made while he was still In
the senate. and before he was nomi-
Harding has made no change In his
position, either before the Aug. rs
sFpeech or after II.
Without Real roundatlon.
The arguments to the effect that
Harding's position on the league OF
on the allegation that In his Des
Moines speech. on Oct. 7, he made a
change In the direction OF no league.
that Is to say. In the direction of Sem
ators Borah and JOHNSON, from the po-
siton he had taken in his Aug. %
speech.
This belief. sincerely held by many
persons, had no real foundation, and
the way II arose and spread like a
legend Is one of the most Interesting
stories OF the campaign, OF course.
the Des MOines speech and the Aug.
% speech are both on record for any
one to see and compare. II Is entirely
open for any one who cares to come
to his own conclusions. The fact 10.
however, that literally millions Of per-
sons came to a conclusion on this
point without ever having read the
speeches. The legend was based on
newspaper headlines. and the head
lines In turn were based on detached
fragments OF the Des Moines speech.
VI the fact that Harding In his Des
Moines speech did not change his po-
sitlon from his Aug. 2s speech. the
two speeches are themselves the best
evidence. But of the fact that Sena.
tor Harding was not under any pres.
sure from Borah or johnson or the
fact that he had no intention Of chang
ing his position In the Des Moines
speech. but on the contrary meant the
Dcs Moines speech to be reaffiri' a
tion Of his Aug. 2s speech. and Of the
fact that pro-league partisans who
read the speech previous to Its deliv.
cry and free from the atmosphere OF
the headlines. approved it---of all that
proof lies in what is one Of the mos,
interesting unwritten stories of the
campaign.
Story Of Telegram.
Early in October a group of the pro-
league supporters OF Senator Harding
become al"rmod at the newspaper re-
ports to the effect that Harding was
yielding to Senators Bornh AMI Johnson.
In this state of slorm they determ ned
to satisfy themselves before they were
willing to go further in their support
of Senator Harding. They r'et in New
York and expressed their apprehens on
in telegram to Sem tor Hrrding. More
accurately. they sent their telegram to
viii Hays. WHO. they knew was at Ma
rion. The telegro m was signed on behalf
of the group by Herbert Hoover and
Jacob Gorld Schurman. presid mt OF
Cornell university. The telegram was
a long one. and. as I say. expressed ap-
prohension lest Harding might yield to
pressure. from Borah and Johnson and
denGrt from his AuT,st 28 speech.
VIII Hays got the telegram at Ma
rion and showed II to Senator Harding
Theseupon Senator Harding. himself,
sent the following reply to Messrs..
Hoover and Schurman Il quote the tele-