The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-10-15
LEAGUE Of NATIONS
CHANGED TO SUIT
REPUBLICANS ARE FOR HARD
AND LEAGUE-THIRTY-ONE
EXPLAIN HOW THEY ARE
WILLING TO HAVE OHIO SEN
ATOR SEEK AMENDMENTS
GIVE OUT STATEMENT.

New York, Oct. 14.-A statement
explaining the position in the presl-
Dental campaign of 81 prominent
men who have advocated some form
of international agreement was IS
sued over their signature here TO-
night and announced they would sup
port Senator Harding, the Republican
nominee.
Elihu Root, Herbert Hoover, Geo.
w. Wickersham, Henry L. Stimson'
A. Lawrence Lowell, Henry W. TAFT
and Charles E. Hughes were among
the signers of the statement which
says in part:
"The question between the candl-
dates is whether we shall join under
an agreement containing the exact
provision negotiated by President
Wilson at Paris or under an agree
ment which omits or modifies some OF
these provisions which are very OBJ
iectionable to great numbers OF the
American people,
ga majority of the senate voted
to ratify the league agreement with
notifications which there is good evl-
dence to show would have been ac-
cepted by the other nations; but Mr..
Wilson refused to accept these moditi-
cations, and insisted upon the agree
ment absolutely unchanged.
"Mr. Harding said in his speech OF
August 2S that:
"There are distinctly two types OF
international relationship. One is an
offensive and defensive alliance OF
great powers. the other type IS
a society of free nations or an asso-
citation of free nations or league OF
free nations animated by considera-
tions of right and justice instead OF
might and self-interest, and not mere
lv proclaimed an agency in pursuit OF
peace, but so organized and so par
! ticipated in as to make the actual at
tainment of peace a reasonable posi-
bility. Such an association 1 favor
with all my heart"
"The question accordingly is not
between a league and no league, but
is whether certain provisions in the
proposed league agreement shall De
accepted unchanged or shall be chang
ed.
"Articlte 10 provides that the ma
tions agreeing to the treaty shall:
"'Preserve as against external ag-
gression the territorial integrity and
existing political independence of all
members of the league
"This is an obligation Of the most
vital importance and it certainly binds
every nation entering into it to go to
war whenever war may be necessary
to prove the territorial integrity or
political independence of any men,
Der of the league against external
aggression.
eve have reached the conclusion
that the true course to bring America
into an effective league to preserve
peace is not by insisting with Mr. Cox
upon the acceptance of such a pro-
vision as Article 10 but by frankly
calling upon the other nations to
agree to changes in the proposed
agreement which will obviate this vi
tai objection and other objections less
the subject of dispute.
"The Republican party is bound by
every consideration of good faith to
pursue such a course until the de-
clared object is attained. -.-.-.
"That course Mr.. Harding is will
ing to follow, for he said in his
speech of August %:
"T would take and combine all that
is good and excise all that is bad from
both organizations (the court and the
league.)."