The Washington times., 1920-07-07
STRING TIED TO
SENATOR'SA|D
Californian Insists G. O. P. Can
didate Must Take Positive
Stand on League.
PUTS 1T UP TO CANDIDATE
Formal Statement Defines ver-
sai|Ies Treaty as "0vershad-
owing Campaign Question"

SAN FRANCISCO, July T.
Hiram johnson today broke the
political silence that has enveloped
him since his defeat for the Repub-
lican Presidential nomination at
Chicago.
In a formal statement the Cali
fornia Senaor. declaring that the
League OF Nations is the "overpower-
ing question in the campaign" served
a virtual ultimatum on Senator Hard
ing, Republican standard bearer, that
Johnson's active support of the party
this fall will depend largely upon the
attitude taken by Harding on the
League OF Nations.
ENDS THIRD PARTY TALK.
After contrasting the declarations
of the two parties on the league issue.
Senator Johnson declared: with a
candidate standing four square upon
the platform, the issue leaves those
who believe in safeguarding. protect
ing, and preserving our Americanism
but one choice. and that Is to support
the Republican party"
The statement. while making no
reference to other than Republican
and Democratic affairs, is believed to
cffectually remove the possibility OF
Johnson heading a third party. and
was so construed by the party leaders
here today. The statement follows:
For more than a year the contest
over the Presidents League of Ma
tions has been waged in Congress. 1t
has been the all-engrossing and para
mount issue.
Both the Republicans and the
Democrats. in their rat. s.r amsd msd Pavs
= a. Tow and done them wen IT.
..a.,iv ot WI. v, ;s a two-fstcd fGf to each
'ftria., sharply denhe and clearly pre-
sent the question for decision in the
November election.
STANDS AGAINST WILSON.
The Republicans were asked to In.
sert in their platform a plank pre-
sented by Murray Crane, Of Massa-
chusetts. and the League to Enforce
Peace, declaring for the Presidents
covenant of the League of Nations
with proper" reservations.
EmphaticaIly this was rejected. In
its stead the Republican party de-
clarcd that the Presidents covenant
"failod ssnally to accomplish" its
asserted purpose and contained
ctipulations not only intolerable for
an Independent people, but certain to
produce the injustice, hostility and
controversy among nations which IT
proposed to prevent" and "repudiated
to degree wholly unnecessary and
iInjustiflable the time-honored policies
in favor OF peace declared by Wash
ington, Jefferson, and Monroe
The Republican party stands,
therefore. f1rnly against tho Prcst-
dents covenant as presented, de-
nounces II as breeding war rather
than promoting peace and renffirms
the time-honored, nation-old policies
OF Washington. Jefferson and Monroe.
"The Democratic party, on the
other hand, rejected every effort to
modify or quality the Presidents pro-
posed League of Nations. endorsed the
Presidents attitude and took It's po-
sition in favor of the league as pre-
sented. 1t is true that the Demo-
Gratis in an effort to placate, say
something about reservations which
might make clearer or more specific
the obligations OF the United States,
but the language Is meaningless and
does not at all alter the essential po-
sition of the Democratic party for
the league as presented.
"The two parties acted in similar
fashion In ono respect. but from DIFF
feront motives and for different rea-
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