New-York tribune., 1920-11-05
Harding Will
Urge a League,
Leaders Assure
Wickersl,am, Crava,ll and DR..
Abbott Say the President
Elects Plan Will Retain
Most of Present Covenant
Faces Facts, Not Theories
Republicans for Versailles
Ireasy Amended, Says
Former Attorney General

Leaders and prominent spokesmcn Of
the Republican party favoring the
League Of Nations declared yesterday
that prcsidcnt-elect Harding will, upon
taking office, set in motion a policy
that Will result in the firm establish
mont Of a League of Nations that will
preserve the essential features of the
present covenant.
Among those who made tatements
were George W Wickersham, Paul d.
Cravath and DR.. Lyman Abbott. They
declared that action by Senator Har-
ding leading toward the participation
Of this country in an international or
ganization to prevent war should be
regarded as the logical consequence of
Senator l}aYding's campaign uttcrances.
MIR. Wlckersham said tnat the result
OF the election was anticipated by all
intelligent observers and added that
had Mr.. Wilson needed the portent of
the Congressional election of 1913 che
would not now be in his tragic situa-
tion.' He asserted thai now that the
election IS over much of the confusion
OF thought prevalent during the cam
paign will be dispelled and the coun-
try VIII settle down to practical work.
"Ihc Republican party whose candi-
dates have been elected by such un-
Wickersham, "has always stood for the
essential principles embodied in the
covenant of the League of Nations.
president Harding viii be confronted
WITH a condition, not a theory. His
duty will be to take IN the relations
between the United States and Ger
many and other European countries.
Republicans Favor Treaty,
"A very laigc sentiment in the Re
publican party is IN favor Of the United
States becoming party to the Treaty
Of eGsallieS, with certain modltica-
tlons. believe that the first efort Of
the new Administration Wi. be to
negotiate notifications which vil re-
move from the treat those things to
which the representative of the ma
]orlty OF American opinicn have most
seriously objected. This, of course,
that the result of the election means
that the Treaty Of Versailles is
scrapped. An agreement to which so
many nations have given their assent
cannot lightly be abandoned
Il believe that the members Of the
League, of course. Will be reasonable,
chat the representatives Of the United
States Will likewise be reasonable and
that an arrangement will be reached
whereby we viii get peace with honor
and the United States viii be enabled
to carry out its moral obligations to
the nations Of the world'
81 have faith in Senator Harding's
assurance that h does not favor a
1,-t A.. ,,
said Mr.. Cravath. "ard that he will
work to the best of his ability for cf-
fcctive participation by this country
in international cooperation to promote
peace and discourage war under plan
that safeguards our sovereignty and
special needs. Senator Harding was
wise in not committing himself in adj
vance to the particular means he would
adopt to accomplish this end. He is
now free to adopt the measures that
seem most effective when the time
comes
Abbott Wants Roosevelt Plan
DE- Abbott sad
fill the purpose which he has an
nounced, that he will call very early
uron those whom he wishes for his
C"unsellors for their Judgment as to
what kind of association or league
this nation should make with other
civilized nations, and that thus he viii
be ready when he is inaugurated to
announce definitely what his foreign
rolicy in that respect viii be.
81 hope that foreign policy will in
c'Ndc the carrying out of the policy
initiated by Mr.. Mckinley and carried
forward by Nh. Roosevelt, the creation
o. an international supreme court and
OF conference of nations. but with
out any military or police power to en-
force the decisions of the court or the
judgments of the conference.
In other words, hope that we
shall have an association of nations
which Will be absolutely voluntary
Without any military power vested in
any representative body of the asso-
clated nations.
"Thc basis of any arrangement be-
tween civilized nations should be the
definition and determination of inter
national law"