The Washington herald., 1920-10-12
Declares He Would Correct
False Impressions Gre
ated by Democrats.
IS NOT FOR ISOLATION
Vigorously Opposed to VIII
son Plan but Favors Some
Kind Of League.
BY SAMUEL w. BELL.

Copyright, 1920. by Public Ledger Coz
Marion, Ohio. Oct. lin lam
gage termed as explicit as the power
of words permits, Senator Harding
today offered a restatement of his
views on the league of nations as
evidence of the fact that there has
been no change in his position on
the issue.
He took his stand again as one
vigorously opposed to the covenant
President Wilson brought back from
Paris or any league of nations OBJ
ligating America to the surrender
of its independence. The action of
the Republican nominee was prompt
ed by the two reasons:
Reasons for Speech.
First, TO nuIIify the apparent
effort of the Democratic party
to read into his recent Western
! speeches absolute and final
abandonment Cs any idea Of
an organization of nations for
the perpctuation of peace.
Second, to correct any i'm
| preston that he favored un iso-
| lated America, an Impression
which through incomplete re-
| ports of his meetings may have
reached Republicans strongly in
clined toward the league idea.
Position should Be Clear.
+ 1T seems to me-" said Senator
] "a oh
main a shadow of doubt as to my
exact position as regards the pro-
posed league of nations as drafted
at Paris and submitted to the SEN
ate. snd as regards the great world
sentiment for d better understand
ing among nations to discourage
war and advance civilization. Lei
me restate my position as explicit.
ly as my power of words permits.
First. / am unalterabIy opposed
to going into the league of nations
as that particular proposition now
stands. That proposal is contemp
tuous of and potentially destructive
of the American Constitution. 1t i.
! not favored by the American people
Second. am in favor of a worlc
association-call IL what you will
the name is of slight consequence
that will discourage or tend to pre-
| vent war and that will encourage ol
tend to encourage a better under
standing among the nations of tn,
earth. The Gid order of things IL
done with not only in America bu
throughout the world, and the Uni
ted States, always quck with sym
Iathy, always just and usually LEI
by common sense, must play it,
part in this new order.
Would Not Hit Freedom.
Third. believe that such an as
sociation can be formulated withou
wrecking the Constitution that re
mains the cornerstone of our libert!
and of our happiness; without SELF
ing or filching the sovereignty tina
is our pride and our inspiration L
fine living and good works.
Fourth. l earnestly believe tina
the conscience, the ready Sympa
thies, the sense of Justice and tn
plain common sense of the Unitet
States can be depended upon by tn,
rest of the world. and that it would
be stupid as well as unlawful to at
tempt to chain our sympathies, GU
sense of justice and our common
sense, to tie these strong, fine, de
pendable American qualities to tn
possibly selfish ambitions and aim
OF foreign nations or groups of ma
tions whose ideals are not the sam
as ours, never have been and neve
will be.
Fifth. 1t is my purpose, wheI
elected, to take the whole peopl
into my confidence as regards thes
matters, to seek their advice, an,
more Importantly, to act conso
nantly with their advice; to thi
end it will be my pleasure as wei
as my duty to call into conference
with me the best minds, the cleares
minds, that America affords.
thank God the time has come whel
/ can ask the advice of American
women and especially the mother
of America"