The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-11-10
Harding Invites Leaders Of
Both Parties to Take Coun-
sci Dominant Principle
of Proposed Association Of
Nations Is a Court With
Power
nv MARX SULLIVAN.

Washington, Nov. Ex-senator Hard
ing has already begun the process OF IN
viting responsible and well equipped
leaders of thought from both parties to
confer about the precise form which the
American variation of the League OF
Nations should take and what should
he the first step toward bringing. II
about
That this should have been the first
thing and the only thing done by Sem
ator Harding before taking his vaca-
tion illustrates both his appreciation
OF the urgency Of this problem and
his campaign obligations, frequently re-
peatcd in his speeches. 10 make this
subject the first burden of this thought
Immediately after his election.
Aside from what Senator Harding
Is doing. other steps. less known to
the rubiic. are being takCSl ny leaders
in European thought looking to the
same end.
Article Z Regarded as Dead.
Whatever the outcome of new deliber-
ations about the League Of Nations. the
one certain thing is that Article \ is
dead.
Article Y was the point OF the contest
and the dividing line between the Lea
que that Wilson would have and the
League that the Republicans would not
have the number Of persons who stood
with Wilson on this point being small.
Not many leaders in the Democratic
party stood with him, and Of these the
major part did so as matter of party
discipline and loyalty to their leader
rather than as a matter OF conviction.
Not oven many statesmen in Europe
stood with Wilson on this point. This
is a fact not widely understood IN Amer
lea Article Y was Wilson's own pet
child. md he forced II on the European
statesmen quite as much against their
Wills as he tried TO force 1t on the
American senate.
Article Y never really belonged to the
League Of Nations. Mr.. Elihu Root was
well within tho truth when he said. in
the only speech he delivered during the
campa ign, that Article Y was Il provis-
ion standing by itself quite outside or
the League for the preservation of peace
and forming no part OF that scheme. but
creating Independently of 1t hand and
fast alliance between the members or
the League 10 preserve in perpetuity the
trritorial and Ih'itical status quo. Arti-
Gle y was no :,art Of the main schenH nf
the, League OF Nations; l go further
and assert that Article Y Is inconsistent
with the purpose and spirit OF the
League"
That this theory of Senator Roots
about Article Y Is correct can be
proved readily by a history Of that
from the rest OF the covenant. and was
originally devised by President Wilson
for wholly different purpose. How
ever. the gcnealOSy Of Article can
await a separate article. 1t Is no longer
important, anyhow. Article y Is dead.
Assuming that the will Of the Re
publican leaders is to prevail about
the League Of Nat!onS--and in the light
of the result Of the election no one can
doubt that the Will of the Republican
leaders Is to prcvail-not only Is Arti-
Gle Y dead. but that underlying prin-
riple Of the league. which resided es-
pCcial!y in Article y and appeared in
several other articles is dlso dead.
The precise distinction between this