Evening star., 1920-12-09
HARDING CLEARING
WAY FOR LEAGUE
Works Overtime at Desk
After Return From His
Month Vacation.
By the Associated Press.


MARION, Ohio. December Back at
his desk after an absence of more than
month, President-elect Harding
worked overtime today wading
through a big accumulation of letters
and other routine business in an
effort to clear his desk before his
league of nations conferences begin
next week.
During his vacation trip to Texas
and Panama only the most urgent
communication were forwarded TO
him and an result hundreds of i'm
poftanf letters and kilograms, in adj
dition to q great stack of requests
from Job hunters and their friends,
Nefs tw&ftfnt replies when he re-
turned.
Mr.. Harding still was reserving de-
cision today on the ofKer Of Gov. Cox
to appoint republican successor
should he resign from the Senate
sooner than the date previously fixed
by him. He tried again to get into
communication with Senator-elect
Frank B. Willis, who would be given
the appointment. and to ascertain his
desires before replying to Gov. Cox's
letter.
Cabinet Decisions Expected.
Special Dispatch to The Star
MARION, Ohio. December s.-While
devoting most of his time to thoughts
Of a substitute he can offer the other
nations and the Senate in place of the
treaty Of Versailles. President-eIect
to determine upon several of his cabinet
posts.
The President-eiect rather enjoys all
the speculation going on about the
cabinet. The promise of strong advisers
has turned most Of the talk towards The
elder group of American statesmen Well
advised opinions do not bear out the
suggestion that Mr.. Harding will call
about him a group whose absence from
their accustomed places will be distinct
ly felt in the normal functioning of
the government, for the Senate, it now
is believed, will be represented by
zero. There will be some surprises and
there will be in nearly every case a per-
fectly logical appointment.
The list of the conferees who will
come here beginning Sunday is grad
ually growing longer and a clearer
idea is being gained about what Mr..
Harding expects from those already
Messrs. Hoover. Root, Taft. Hughes.
George Harvey and Senator Shields,
with a hint that Senator Hitchcock,
who has not yet been invited, will
be called.
VIII Bring Views Of Europe.
Hoover and Root, the first two an
nounced, VIII no doubt contribute as
much to the conferences as any other
two men. Both will be able to give
resident!elect Harding an idea of
the way Europe will accept any sug-
gestions Of notifications to the
league he may have in mind. Sena-
tor Harding leans heavy on the in
court scheme for an as
sociation.
The question of negotiating will. Of
course. be of prime Importance to
Mr.. Harding so long as President
wilson keeps the treaty Of Versailles
at the White House; So long as it
contains article X Mr.. Harding will
not submit it to the Senate, and the
only way to get article X out will be
by representations either to the league
or the member nations. Questions of
compromise enter into the calling Of
the democratic senator's, several
others besides Shields and Hitchcock
being among those who will see Mr..
Harding. He will have a good ma
jority. but will need some democratic
support Col. Harvey will give the
republicans good repre-
but in the long run it Is
believed that the groundwork of the
Versailles covenant will prevail and
that Mr.. Harding will use that in
strument in his negotiations.
Copyright, 1870.