Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1920-09-09

1
Senator Warren G. Harding in
address before the Indiana
delegation at Marion.
Marion, O. Especial )-Senator War
G. Harding, Republican nominee
President, in a speech delivered to
Delegation from Indiana which called
him here to pledge the support of
[diana Republicans, declared that
|ice President Wilson had an oppor-
|hity to obtain ratification of the
ague Of Nations covenant and that
put ratification aside because he
buid not accept reservations designed
kely to safeguard American rights.
|nator Harding said:
Il greet you in a spirit of rejoicing;
rejoicing in the narrow personal
partisan sense, not in the gratifying
Sospects of party triumph; not in the
interpolation of abundance in the
rvest fields and ripening corn fields
d maturing orchards; not In the re-
suring approach of stability after a
|riod of wiggling and wobbling which
hgnified our ertainty-though all
these are ample for our wide re-
3icing-but / rejoice that America is
HI free and Independent and in po-
uon of self-reliance and holds to the
ght of self-determination, which are
Eiceless possessions In the present
rbulence of the world.
R"Let US suppose the senate had rat
ed the peace treaty containing the
ague covenant as submitted to it by
lie president in July of last year,
hat would be the situation confront
g our common country today? To
mind there is but one answer. Be
Ire this day we would have been
lied upon to fulfil the obligations
hich we had assumed under Article
of the league covenant, to preserve
he territorial integrity of Poland as
gainst external aggression
Sympathy fer Poland.
81 shall not now attempt to meas
IRE the boundless sympathy for the
ust aspirations and restored independ-
nee Of Poland. Our present concern
5 the international situation which
poland has brought to our attention.
"The council of the League of Ma
lions would have reasoned, and rea-
|oned correctly, that the United States
kould furnish the munitions and, if
necessary, the men TO withstand the
bordes advancing from Russia far
more easily than could the exhausted
nations of Europe. Moreover, mas
much as this would be the first test
bf the scheme Of world government
which was formulated and demanded
by the President, speaking for the
United States, the fact of a special
Responsibility, resting upon our should
ers, manifestly would have been un.
deniable. Undoubtedly the league
council, in advising upon the means
by which the obligations to Poland
should be fulfilled, as provided in the
covenant, would have so held, and
lpbably the conscience of America
certainly the opinion of the world
would have sustained that judgment
"The conclusion that our country
might now be confronted by such
situation, If the senate had ratified
the league covenant, requires nc
stretch of the imagination. None car
deny that it is possible. To many
candid minds, as to my own, such
distressing situation will seem high
ly probable. Let US assume that the
ratification had taken place. Let US
assume, further, that the performance
of the allotted task required the wag
ing Of war upon the Russian people
as. of course, it would, what would
result; what would of necessity have
70 result? Nothing necessarily, VIZ
are Chilly Informed. since only the
CHgress can declare war, and thu
CONGRESS- might reject the appeal O
the executive. But would the Congress
do that? Gould the Congress do tina
without .s,nining lrdelibly the homo
of the nation?
Answer Is "Eo."
81 answer No, and | say 1t not Oh
nv own authority alone. Back of m
Judgment stands the President of tn
United States Upon that point ther
is first-hand information. In the cours
of the discussion which took place q
the meeting of the President and tn
Senate Committee on Foreign Reia
lions raised the question by Stain
! hypothetical case precisely analogou
to that which have depicted, and the
inquired whether we might not right
fully be regarded as Dertidious pee