The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-06-25
HARDING AND THE LEAGUE

tnat the hepuDllcaH pldtloIi plSuSS'
the party to the ratification, of the
League of Nations with the Lodge
reservations. 1t takes lot of argu-
ment to support this view, and al
though we would like very much to be
convinced we might confess that 1t
leaves lingering doubt. We are UNI
able to accept Mr.. Taft's conclusion In
it's entirety, but there are points OF
weight in his discussion. The fact
that the treaty plank was drawn by
Mr.. Root, who favors the League, who
wrote the platform Of the New York
State Republican Convention which
called for ratification with the Lodge
reservations, and who is now in Eu-
rope to aid in the creation OF an In
ternational court as part OF the ma
chinery of the league, is an indication,
at least, that the intent Of the plank
is not unfrieudly to the existing
League of Nations. Mr.. Taft believes
that the platform declaration that
1--WE pledge the coming Republican
administration to such agreement with
the other nations of the world as
shall meet the full duties of America
to civilization and humanity in ac-
cordance with American ideals and
without surrendering the right Of the
American people to exercise It's Judg-
ment and its power in favor of JUS
tice and peace" means acceptance OF
| the covenant with the reservations in
Dictated. Maybe it does, and we hope
it does. If it does not mean that,
what does it mean? There is, IN
reality, no alternative way of fulfill
ing this pledge, and we have hereto
fore shown that, granted the safe
guards demanded, we cannot remain
out of the league without disadvan-
tage and injustice to ourselves.
Mr.. Taft does not quite convince US
that the platform commits the party
to ratification of the treaty with the
Lodge reservations, but the logic of
circumstances indicates that such Will
| be the party course. We SAID, IN
discussing this matter when the plat
form was first announced, that 1t left
the party position to be declared by
the candidate. 1t is pertinent there
FORE to inquire what is Senator Hard
ing's attitude in relation to the
treaty. He has stated it himself IN
number of utterances. When the
question of ratification with the res
ervations adopted by the majority was
up for decision, last November, Sena-
tor Harding said:
an the Senate there are four dis
/ tinct schools of thought in dealing
with this treaty: One is the uncondi-
tional ratification school, those who
either through their own conscien-
tious convictions or the lash of the eX-
ecutive-choose as you will--want this
treaty ratified without single modl-
fication or reservation. That is. Group
| No. /. In direct opposition is the So
called irreconcilable group, those who
are unalterably opposed to any rat
ification. That is Group No. 2. The
third is the group to which l choose
to belong, if | may, who are agreed to
bring about the ratification OF this
treaty if they are convinced that res
ervations have been adopted which
are sufficient to safeguard the inter-
ests of the United States of America
There still remains another group, or,
rather, a group within a group, pop
ularly known as the "mild reserva-
tionists," those who are anxious to
safeguard the interests of this Re-
public, but at the same time desire to
make the reservations as little Of
fensive as possible to those who as
sumed to negotiate the treaty in con-
tempt of the Senate.
1--WE have had the four groups to
deal with, and in the progress of the
ldebate and after much discussion we
have finally come to an understanding
on this side alone, because on the
other side there were those who took
the position that there could be no
reservations at all, and have accom-
modated our differences to the extent
that the majority has agreed upon a
program of reservations"
In this statement Senator Harding
identified himself with the group
"who have agreed to bring about rat
/ ification" with reservations "suffi-
cient to safeguard the interests of the
United States" and he so voted
That he had not changed his position
when the question of ratification with
the reservations again came to q
vote, is shown by the Record. Wher
Senator Harding's name was called
Senator Curtis said: 81 have been re-
ouested to announce that the junior
Senator from Ohio (Mr. Harding), ir
order to facilitate vote on this ques'
ton, agreed to pair with the senior
Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pen
rose), who is absent on account of i'll
ness. If at liberty to vote, the Sena
tor from Ohio would vote yea anc
the Senator from Pennsylvania woulc
vote nay" Senator Harding is thu!
recorded second time as in favor Of
ratification with the Lodge reserva
tions. So late as May IA he said il
a speech at Boston:
"There would not be any trouble
about the League of Nations if it wer'
not for the personal dictation of tn,
President-"my will or none" -.
think the sentiment of America il
largely in favor Of considerable co
operation and participation on tn
part of the United States in a new in
ternational relationship which shall
tend to promote and preserve tn
peace of the world. l would not hav'
America hold aloof.
This attitude on the part of the Re
publican candidate, taken togethe
with the facts that two-thirds of tn
E., 1