The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-06-18
HARDING PICKS
UPPRES!DENT'S
BATTLE GAGE
Republican Candidate We'll
comes Opportunity to Sub
NIT Treaty to People
Wilson Is Well.
PRESERVE NATIONALITY
(By Associated Press)

Wilson's challenge to submit the
peace treaty to a referendum of the
American people was accepted today
by Senator Harding, the Republican
presidential candidate.
Il am sure" said Senator Harding,
1.-The Republican party will gladly wei
come the referendum on the question
Of the foreign relationship of this re-
public, and the Republican attitude of
preserved nationality will be over
whelmingly endorsed"
NEW YORK, June 1S.-President
Wilson's nine months of illness have
neither daunted his spirit nor impair
ed in the slightest degree his splendid
intellect" according to the New York
World, which today published a copy
righted interview of its Washington
correspondent with the president.
Within the last two months, the cor
respondent says the president has
gained more than 20 pounds, and his
ultimate complete recovery is assured.
During the three hour interview at
the White House says the correspond
ent, the long discussion OF current
topics and issues showed that the
president expressed himself with
characteristic Wilsonian vigor.
Says League is Issue.
The president tolG the CORES spOnd-
ent. in discussing the political cam
paign that the league of nations was
the dominant issue and he expects the
Democrats at San Francisco to repeat
his challenge for a referendum on the
league.
In discussing the presidents physic-
al condition the correspondent SAID
his face is not distorted in the slight
est degree as some of the unfriendly
versions Of his illness have asserted.
The Wilson face is much the same as
it was. though it bears the impress or
great physical suffering.
President Walks to East Rooms.
After he had worked and we had
talked for an hour the president
walked from his Office chair on the
balcony to the movies in the East
room, slowly, cautiously, but with
confidence"
The correspondent described the
movements of the president about the
White House and said the very pest
proof of the great Improvement In the
presidents physical condition was pro-
Nided when he mounted three impro-
vised wooden steps and entered the
motor car, with only such assistance
as would naturally be given to per
son convalescing from serious illness.
The President walked with slight
limp and used a cane according to the
correspondent
Il am even more confident" the
president said, that such referendum
will confirm my faith that the Ameri-
can people desire it above anything
else that a political party now may
provide, and that they will condemn
the republican policy of denying them
the consummation Of their hopes. No
one will recommend a referendum on
that issue more than l.
Il suppose | would feel f1attered,'
he continued, "Over being made the
issue of the presidential campaign by
the republican party. But even the
efforts of the platform makers at Chi
cago to confer the distinction of be
ing not only burning but a living
issue by camouflaging and obscuring
the real issues will not deceive the
people.
THE processes by which the Chi
cago platform was accomplished seem
ed to me to have been essentially and
scientifically Prussian in inspiration
and method. Instead Of quoting Wash
ington and Lincoln, the republican
platform should have quoted Bismarck
and Bernhard, because the republican
attitude regarding the supreme issue
that cannot be abandoned or disre-
Garded strongly suggests the arbitrary
influences that dictated the doctrines
of these two eminent persons.
Charges 6ecioud Issue.
Every charge directed against me
and my administration is obviously
designed TO beClOud and negative the
paramount issue confronting the peo-
pie of America and to befog their
sense of responsibility and make vio-
lation of the obligations they have as
sumed to be of small consequence |
sincerely believe that the attempt of
th. republican party to win the sane
tion Of the American people for its
attempted evasion of these obligations
will he deCisivelv rebuked.
'With one thing am fully satisfied
this is that the republican party in
its platform has joined me in the
suggestion | made in my letter to the
guests at the Jackson Day dinner in
Washington last January. In that let
ter | expressed the hope that a sin.
core attempt would be made to de-
termine the attitude of the American
people on the league of nations by the
resort to the genuinely democratic
process of the referendum.
of course, | have no way Of an
ticipating the probable trend of senti
ment that will be expressed in the
democratic national convention at San
Francisco or fOrecasting the ultimate
conclusions of that body. But have
every confidence that the delegates
who will sit in that convention will
repeat the challenge | issued to the
republican party and express their
readiness to permit the people to de-
eide between the league and ambigu-
Gus declarations by the republicans
and a positive and definite expression
of opinion by the democratic party.
Whatever else the democratic party
may do. hope that its convention at
San Francisco will say just what it
means on every issue and that it will
Continued on Page Fourteen)