The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-10-18
FIRST VOTERS
HEAR HARDING
SOUND MOTTO
Delegations From Many
States Hear Republican
Nominee Make Plea for
America First
MAKES One MORE TRIP

usBTH1N@O OlVA TWILL HE
MARION, O., Oct. 1S.-First voters
day at Senator Ha rding's front porch
brought to Marion today many dele
cations of young men and women to
hear the Republican nominee make
plea for America first" as the motto
of those a bout to cast their ballots
for the first time.
Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsyl.
vania, West Virginia, kentucky and
Ohio sent the largest representation.
although citizens from many other
states were present. Several special
trains brought delega tions from out
side Ohio and many from the cities
nearby came by motor.
Parade Precedes
bicycle division also was one of
the features of the parade which pre-
ceded the senator's speech. Also in
the crowd were delegations from sew
eral Ohio counties, including con-
solidated group from the Eight Ohio
congressional district.
The Ohio contingents were to have
been received tomorrow, but the two
meetings were combined in order to
give the nominee on day of rest be-
loiC lSdNCS w ftuHtSudy HUI uluo
for his last speaking trip Of the cam
paign.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1S.-President
Wilson today addressed a letter to
Senator Harding relative to the Repub-
llcan nominees statement of Saturday,
that he had been approached Inform
ally by representative of the French
Governments. relative 9SS0ci1-
tion of nations.
Quoting from 4 dispatch dated ST.
Louis, Oct. 16, purporting to report
that statement of Senator Harding, the
president said:
Il need not point cut to you the
grave and extraordinary inference to
be drawn from such a statement,
namely, that the government of
France, which is a member of the
league OF nations. approached priv
ate citizen of nation which is not
member or the league, with a request
that the United States lead the way
to world fraternity.'"
Sees Grave Situation.
Declaring that the state department
had always found the government of
France most mindful Of its interna-
tioiiaI obliSdllOIlS anu CdIelul 10 OU-
serve all the proprieties of interna-
tional intercourse" the president
wrote that he hesitated Ito draw the
inference to which l have referred un-
less | am assured by you that you &C
tually made the statement"
The letter of the president to Sen
ator Harding follows:
My Dear Sir: In the New York
Times of yesterday, Sunday, Oct. II,
1920, | find statement dated ST.
Louis, Oct 16, which purports to re-
port certain utterances of your In it
occurs the following: Replying to
criticisms of his proposal for an asso-
citation of nations, he said. in a rear
platform speech at Greencastle, Ind,
that he already had been approached
informally by a representative of
France who asked that the United
States lead the way to a world fra
ternity.
Il write to ask you if this is cor
rect quotation and if you really said
what is there attributed to you | need
not point out to you the grave and ex-
traordlnary inference to be drawn
from such statement, namely, that
the government of France, which is a
HIelhuel vi lHe league or nations, ap-
preached private citizen of a nation
which is not a member of the league
with request that the United States
lead the way into world fraternity"
MARION, O., Oct. Ex-senator
Harding has declined since his Green
castle speech to Ella borate on the state
ment that France had sent a spokes-
man to him asking that America take
the lead in the formation of an asso-
citation of nations. Beyond repeating
that the suggestion was made in
formally" the Republican nominee has
indicated that he would not make pub
lie any further particulars
Officials at Harding headquarters
said that President Wilson'S inquiry
on the subject had not been received
when it was made public today in
Washington 1t was said that a pub
lie reply would be made by the Sena-
tor as soon as the message had
reached him officially.
The Republican nominee may have
a reply to the President to make pub
lie tonight. 1t is understood that his
answer will declare that the French
government, acting as such, did not
violate any of the diplomatic proprie-
ties, and will call attention that the
Government was not named in the