The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-10-18
PRESIDENT WILSON
DIRECTS INQUIRIES
To HARDING AND TO
FRENCH GOVERNMENT
President Informs Harding
Grave and Extraordinary
Inference to Be Drawn
From Reported Stand
ASSOCIATED NATIONS
SUGGESTED BY REPRESENTATIVE
OF FRANCE THAT L. s. TAKE
LEAD, IS REPORTED AS
HARDLNG'S STATEMENT

Washington, Oct. IS. - President
Wilson today directed inquiry to both
the French government and Senator
Harding as to the Republican candi-
dates recent statement that he had
been approached informally" by
representative Of France and asked
to lead in the formation of an AS
sociation of Nations"
Form of Inquiry to France Unknown
Mr.. Tumulty would not say what
form the inquiry to the French gov
ernment had taken nor whether 1t had
been communicated through the em-
bassy here or through the American
ambassador at Paris.
The inquiry TO Senator Harding,
which was in the form Of a letter
was made public at the White House
At first officials there refused to
| deny or confirm that an inquiry also
had been sent to the French govern
ment, but subsequently Secretary Tu-
multy announced that such action
had been taken.
Grave and Extraordinary Inference
Quoting from a dispatch dated st.
Louis, October 16, purporting to re-
port the. statement of Senator Hard
ing. the president said
L need not point out to you the
grave and extraordinary inference to
be drawn from such a statement.
namely, that the government Of France
which is member Of the league OF
nations. approached a private citizen
of nation which is not a member OF
the league, with a request that the
United States lead the way to u
world fraternity"
Declaring that the state department
had always found the government
OF France most honorably mindful
of its international obligations and
puncttliously careful to observe all the
properties Of international intercourse"
the president wrote that he hesitated
TO Draw the inference to which [
have referred unless / am assured
by you that you actually made the
statement"
Letter TO Harding
The letter to Senator Harding fol-
lows:
THE 18th of October, 1920.
My Dear Sir;
In the New York Times OF yester-
day. Sunday, October II. 1920, find
a statement dated st. Louis, October
l6, which purports to report GER
tain public utterances of yours. In
it occurs the following:
Replying to criticisms of his
approval for an association OF ma
tions he said in a rear platform
speech at Greencastle, Ind, that he
already had been approached inform
ally by representative OF France.
who asked that the United States lead
the way to a world fraternity.
II write to ask II this is correct
quotation and II you really said what
is there attributed to you need
not point out to you the grave and
extraordinary inference To be drawn
from such statement. namely, that
the government OF France, which Is u
member of the league of nations, ap-
preached a private citizen of u nation
which is not member Of the league
with request that the United States
lead the way to a world fraternity
The Department OF State has al
ways found the government Of France
most honorably mindful of its inter-
national obligations and punctiliously
careful to observe all the proprieties
of international intercourse, hesi-
tate to draw the inferences to which
| have referred unless | am assured
by you that you actually made the
statement.
Very truly yours,
WOODROW WILSON,"