Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-10-20
DEFENDS SENATOR
 BY DECLARING COX
 FELL INTO A TRAP
Statement From Harding Headquarters Purports to
 Explain French Fuss
CLAIMS GOVERNOR WAS
 INSTIGATOR OF PLOT
Document Relates Correspondent Wanted Interview With c. 0. P. Candidate But Was
 Refused

Maf1OH, O., Oct. 19.-An unSucceSS- ful attempt by Governor Cox to trap Senator Harding was charged in a statement issued from Harding head quarters here tonight in response to suggestions by the Democratic nom inee that MT. Harding had conferred with Maurice Dekobra, French jour- nalist, regarding the French attitude toward the league of nations.
 The statement issued over the signature of Judson c. Welliver, headquarters director of publicity said that Senator Harding never haa heard of Dekobra, until today, all though the latter had made an un- successful effort to see him in In- dianapolis last Friday.
 Senator Harding himself declined to discuss the governors reference to Dekobra, or to say anything fur ther in regard to his utterance at Green Castle. He indicated that with his reply to President Wilson's let ter on the subject last night he was inclined to regard the incident as closed, and that he did not intend to reveal the identity of his informants or any other details of the "infor- mai" advices he received from them.
 Harding Statement
 MT. Welliver's statement follows in part:
 "In his speech at Rochester, New York last evening, Governor Cox is quoted as saying in reference to Senator Harding's statement that q spokesman of France had informal ly asked that America should lead the way for an association of nations.
 "I dare Senator Harding to tell America publicly whether or not the representative of France was Mau- rice Dekobra of Paris. If this be true and I have strong reasons for believing it is, wish to remind you of Senator Harding's oft-repeated assurances that he intends to take counsel always with others. We have here an instance of the kind Of counsel he will seek in connection with international affairs. Monsieur Debokra appears to be a fine gentle man, but he is humorist and in his own behalf I doubt if he would say he is profound in international af- fairs
 Governor Cox has fallen into a neat little trap that had been set for Senator Harding. Senator Hard ing never saw M. Dekobra and never heard of him until today. The facts about this pleasant little conspiracy are briefly these:
 Wanted Interview
 "On Friday evening last, few min utes after Senator Harding's train had arrived at Indianapolis, M. De kobra came to me at the Severin Hotel, introducing himself as the correspondent of La Liberte of Paris, and asked that an audience with Sen ator Harding be arranged. : declin ed, and Monsieur Dekobra became in- sistent. He said he had been travel ing with Governor Cox's party, and having secured the Cox viewpoint on international matters, he was now de- sirous of an interview with Senator Harding in order that he might pre- sent the Republican side of the mat ter. He was very insistent upon seeing Senator Harding and seeing him immediately. I finally told him it was impossible.
 Monsieur Dekobra did not at that time, or any other, even speak to Senator Harding. Senator Harding was not informed of M. Dekobra's im- purtinities, indeed never saw or met him at any time. Monsieur Dekobra was evidently expected by Governor Cox to secure an interview with Sem ator Harding and to say certain. things to him. Therefore, when Sen ator Harding, on the next day at Green Castle, Indiana made casual observations about France having sent spokesman to him informally, Governor Cox assumed that DeKobra had been successful and that Senator Harding had taken the bait.
 "The governor proceeded to expose his own part by daring Senator Hard ing to say whether his French in formant was Dekobra. Governor Cox has merely over-reached himself in his attempt to trap Senator Harding.
 "The incident is peculiarly illum- mating, as to the methods of the Democratic campaign, but the joke is on Governor Cox, who has thus ex- posed the cheap methods his cam paign is employing"