Norwich bulletin., 1920-10-16
HARDING RETREATS HIS POSITION

of association which actually creates
 more dissenSion and more wars than It Esuppfesses CT avoids.
 The second qualification place
 upon Americas contribution, and l have said this unceasiogly, is that America must retain the Tight to ex- ercise her own conscience. I have said, over and over again, and 1 repeat now, that will not be deceived by the argument that we could agree to the Paris league and then creep out of our bargain to send our boys to Europe at the call of a super government. It is true that congress could refuse, directly or indirectly. to respond to the world councils call for armed 1 forces. but that would be the repudia- ton of sacred moral obligation which we would take in accepting Article x. Such a proposal ranks among the most contemptible ever presented to an honest people. l am against it, heart, and mind, and soul.
 I am in favor of the prevention of war 1 by a means which I believe to be inef- feetive at the cost of American inde- pendenee and American honor. | The Moral Obligation. l Senator Knox asked the president I this question:
 Suppose it is perfectly obvious ] that there is an external aggression against some power, and suppose it is i perfectly obvious that it can not be re- [ pelled except by force of arms would we be under any legal obligation to participate?"
 1 The president answered.: NO, sir; but we should be under an absolutely i compelling moral obligation"
 l A little. later the president answered
 an inquiry I made, with some sugges- | ton of reproval: "A moral obligation | ic lf 4r, loco ok 1 gation, and, if may say so, of greater l binding force"
 Then we really are called to war, regardless of congress, or we are ready
 to repudiate an absolutely compelling | moral obligation" and stain America with dishonor.
 It is strange thing that the presi- dent and those who desire to succeed
 him, with the adoption of his inflexible and lost program, should only be able 1 to consider international relations ir | terms of war. I said on August 2S 1 speaking of international relationships
 in peace:
 If, in the failed league of Versailles there can be found machinery which
 the tribunal can use properly and ad- vantageously, by all means let it be appropriated. I would even go furth-
 CT. l would take and combine all that Is good and excise all that is bad iron both organizations. This statement k . | broad enough to include the sugges
 ton that if the league, which ha. heretofore riveted our consideration
 and apprehensions, has been so en
 twined and interwoven into the peac,
 of Europe, that it's good must be pre- | served in order to stabilize the peac
 of that continent, then it can be amen
 ed or revised so that we may stil
 have a remnant of the worlds aspira
 tions of 1918, builded into the world highest, conception of helpful coopera , tion in the ultimate realizations" l make the suggestion to the Amer : ican people, and through them to m opponents, that it is better to build u peace through justice than to promot the alliance of armed forces: that i is better to promote understandin
 and foster common interest, and | seek friendly understanding, aye, t !, establish common council and turn tn light of world opinion upon develop ing controversy, than to seek super s government and the suppression o war by force. We picture the tempt 5 of world justice rather than tn l worlds armed camp of war.