Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-08
Harding and the League.

Following an extended conference with
Senator Harding at the latter's home, on
Saturday last. former Attorney General
George W. Wickersham Of President
Taft's cabinet, issued a public statement IN
respect of the Republican candidate s
attitude towards the League of Nations.
Mr. Wickersham is sufficiently q friend OF
the League of Nations as to state frankly,
speaking for himself, that he SHOULD have
been satisfied to see it ratified as written,
believing that the power of amendment
was ample to enable it to be moulded as our
national interests might make necessary" |;
but he deemed it advisable to put as good
a face as posi- BILE upon Senator Harding's 8
position, and so he proceeded to set it
forth.
Wickersham, 'does not wholly and finally
reject the league. He recognizes that it
may have become so entwined and inter-
woven in the peace of Europe that its
good work and its unobjectionable pro-
visions must be preserved in order to
stabilize the peace of that continent.
When President Harding, working In
accord with a Republican Congress,
takes up the work of placing upon firm,
lust and sure foundation the relation OF
this country to the other nations of the
world, / am confident that the logic of
accomplished fact will lead to the adoption
of the League, so modified as to remove all
lust doubts as to its undue effect upon
American rights and interests. Senator
Harding has recognized this fact IN the
statement that he has no expectation what
ever Of finding IL necessary or advisable to
negotiate separate peace with Germany.
The first effort of his administration OBJ
viously must be t secure an agreement
with the parties of the Treaty of Versailles
for its modification so as to remove the
objections Of the American government.
and, that accomplished, our acceptance of
the amended treaty will be the natural
solution of the international problem"
But this explanation does not clearly
explain. The country knows that Senator
Harding is against the League of Nations
and the Treaty Of Peace as adopted at
Versailles He has said enough to make
this much, at least. very plain. As TO
what he would now have done about the
matter he leaves the country in doubt, al
though he has said few significant things
in this connection. He has denounced
Governor Cox's open and unequivocal
approval of the Treaty and League, and In
his speech of acceptance said that If
elected President he would approve reso-
luton declaring our war with Germany
at an end as soon as one was sent to him
by the Senate. If this is not declaration
in favor Of a separate peace with Ger
many, what else can it mean?
But why should not Senator Harding
speak for himself, and speak as plainly,
unequivocally and emphatically as Cover
nor Cox has spoken? The League of Ma
tions undoubtedly is the paramount issue
Of the campaign. Thousands of citizen.
look upon it as the only sure means of |
guarding the world against destructive |
and costly wars in the future. Why |
should a candidate for President have the |
least hesitancy in stating clearly where ne
stands in respect of such nightly i'm |
portant issue? Whenever he alludes to |
the subject at all, he leaves his real |
opinions matter of conjecture.