Arizona republican., 1920-10-15
Prominent New York Men Endorse G. o. P. Nominee In Statement Issued Last Night
MANY NCDN-PARTISANS
 AMONG THE SIGNERS
Claim League In Some Form Is Guaranteed Both By Platform and Utterances Of the Senator Himself
TRepubIlcan A. p. Leased wireJ

lnGPOptCslft frs r- LCdcCd FNHS J NEW. YORK, Oct. 14.-A statement explaining the positions in the presi- dential campaign of s1 prominent men who have advocated some form of in agreement, issued over their signatures tonight announced they would support Senator Harding Elihu Root, Herbert Hoover George w. Wickershstm, Henry l.. Stimson. A. Lawrence Lowell Henry w. Taft and Charles l7. Hughes were among the signers of the statement, which q 
 Explain Position
 The undersigned, who desire that the United States shall do her Gull part in association with the other civ ilized nations to prevent war, have considered how we may con- tribute most effectively to that end by our votes in the coming election.
 "The question between the candi- dates is not whether our country shall join in such an association. It is whether we shall join under an agree ment containing the exact provision negotiated by President Wilson at Paris or unoer an agreement which omits or modifies some of those pro- visions which are very objectionable to great numbers Of the American people.
 'The paper signed by 3S Republican senators in March, 1919, before the league covenant was adopted at Paris. advised the president that the signers could not apTlrove a treaty in tho form then proposed, although it was their sincere desire that the nations of the world should unite to promote peace and general disarmament
 
 ratify the league agreement with mod ifications. which there is good evidence to show would have been accepted by the other nations. But MT. Wilson re- fused to accept these notifications and insisted upon agreement absolutely un- changed, and Democratic senators suf- ficient in number to defeat the treaty as modified followed Mir Wilson hv voting against ratification.
 That. is substantially the difference between the parties now. The Demo- CT tic platform and candidate stand unQualifiedly for the agreement nego- tiated at Paris without substantive modification.
 Platform Provides for League
 "On the other hand. the Republican platform says: The Republican party stands for agreement among the na- tions to preserve the peace of the world. We believe that such an inter- national association must be based upon international justice and must provide methods which shall maintain the rule of public right by the develop ment of law and the decision of im- partial courts; and which shall secure general international conference when ever peace shall be threaten so that nations pledged to do and Insist upon what is just and fair may exercisr their influence and power for the pre- vention of war
 MT. Harding said in his speech of August 2S:
 "sThere are distinctly two types of international relationship. One is an 1 offensive and defensive alliance of great powers. The other type is society of free nations. or an asso- citation of free nations. or a league ot free nations animated by considera- tions of right and justice instead Of might and self-intereSt and not merely proclaimed an agency in pursuit ot peace but so organized and so par ticipated in as to make the actual at tainment of peace a reasonable possi- bility. Such an association I favor with all my heart, and I -sould make no fine distinction as to whom credit is due. One need not care what it l: called. Let it be an association, Q society or a league or what not Oul concern is solely with the substance not the form thereof.
 A Question of Leagues Form
 "Mr. Harding has since repeatedly reaffirmed the declaration of thi: speech in the most positive terms.
 ''The question, accordingly, is no betwaen a league and no league, bu' is whether certain provisions in the proposed league agreement shall be ac- cepted unchanged or shall be changed
 "The contest is not about the prin- ciple of a league of nations, but it 1: about the method of most effectively applying that principle to preserve peace.
 'Tf the proposed changes in the Paris agreement were captious ol without substantial grounds one migh question the sincerity of their advo cates. This. however. is not the case "The principal change proposed con cerns article 10 of the league covenant MT. Wilson declares this to be th' heart of the league and the chief con troversy is about this.
 Article 10 provides that the na , tions agreeing to the treaty shall: Preserve as against external az gression the territorial integrity ant
 existing political independence of al members of the league s Article 10 Binds Nations P This is an obligation of the mos vital importance and it certainly bind!
 every nation entering into it to go tt war whenever war may be necessar. to preserve the territorial integrity O ! political independence of any membel of @ league against external aggres sion.
 Tt is idle to say that congress hai , power to refuse to authorize such war. for whenever the treaty calls fo war a refusal by congress to pass tn necessary resolution would be re 3 fusal by our government to keep th' obligation of the treaty. The alterna tive would be war or a. breach of tn g States.
 we cannot rsgsEd sueh a provision