New-York tribune., 1920-10-19
Declares Representations
Constituted No Violation
of International Propri.
cites; No Official Az,
President MistOOE
Senator's Statemen<
Candidate, in His SpeecL..
Referred 10 Conversa-
tions With 'Spnkesmen'
From Sta9 correspondert

MANlO4N, OCt. 1c.-SeNaCOf W ar
rem G. Harding, replying tonight to
an inquiry from President Wilson
asking whether the Republican
nominee had been correctly quoted
as saying that he had been ap-
preached informally by represent
ative of France seeking American
leadership In "a world fraternity
said that France had sent her
"spokesmen" to him. He added, how
ever, that their representations lad
not caused violation of interlia-
tional proprieties by the French gov
ernment.
Grave differences
The President had written to ask
the Senator whether he had really
said" what was accredited to him.
He pointed out "the grave and
extraordinary differences TO be
drawn from such a statement" and
added that France had always been
found to be "most honorably mind
full Of its international obligations
and punctiliously careful to observe
all the proprieties of international
discourse"
The Senator, in his reply, made it
plain that he never intended to con-
vey the impression in his Green
castle speech last Saturday, to which
the President referred, that the
French government had approached
him about his plan for an associa
tion of nations.
The candidate did not wait to re-
ceive Mr.. Wilson's letter. but dispatch
ed his reply after reading the letter as
earned IN newspaper dispatches from
Washington.
Sees No Impropriety.
In his speech at Greencastle Sena-
tor Harding said France has sent her
spokesman to me informally. asking
America in its new realization of the
situation to lead the way for an asso-
citation of nations" By that state
ment Senator Harding meant that he
nau nad an opportunity to Let the cor
rect perspective of the French peoples
view through conversations with in
formed persons. In his reply TO the
President Seantor Harding said: 81
can see no impropriety in private citi-
zens of France or in Americans deeply
friendly to France expressing to me
their understanding OF sentiments in
that friendly Republic"
The candidate in his reply said he
had not been quoted exactly in the
Presidents letter. Mr. Wilson, instead
of giving Senator Harding's words as
quoted in an Associated Press dispatch,
used a paraphrase Of the Senator'S re-
marks. AS a matter Of fact, the entire
situation has grown out of what ap-
pears to be an error in the transcript
ton of Senator Harding's remarks
Typewriter copies of his speech dis
trbuted to newspaper men aboard the
Senator's special train quoted him as
having said Spokesman" The stenog-
rapher in going over his notes found
that the word was "spoke smen." which
was what Senator Harding intended 1t
to be-
Not Approached Officially
Returning TO Marion yesterday be-
fore the Presidents letter had been
written, and consequently before there
was any controversy about the
speech, Senator Harding made it clear
that he had talked with a number of
persons about the feeling of the
French people toward an association
of nations TO replace the discredited
Versailles League. He made it clear he
mad not been approached officially