Evening star., 1920-10-18
PRESIDENT ASKS
HARDING # SPEECH
REPORT IS CORRECT
lnquires About Request by
France That U. S. Lead
Way to Fraternity.
"GRAVE. EXTRAORDINARY
INFERENCE TO BE DRAWN"
Mr. Wilson Says Paris Government
Has ALWAYS Been Found Mind
full of Obligations.

President Wilson today addressed a
1,tter to Senator Harding inquiring
whether or not he had been correctly
quoted in an article in the New York
T'imes of yesterday in which he, the sem
sror. is alleged to have said that he
Fad already been approached informally
~ representative of France, who asked
1hat the United States lead the way to
.. world fraternity.
.5::idring that the State Department
''tad always found the government of
1TanCC most honOrably mindful OF It's
International obligations and punctiliouS-
j. careful 10 observe all the proprieties
al international Intercourse. the Presi-
dent wrote that he heSitated Ito draw
the inference to which / have referred
unless | am assured by You that you ac-
1ually made the statement"
Quotes From Dispatch.
Quoting from a dispatch dated St
Louis, October 10, purporting to report
the statement of Senator Harding, the
president said.
IL need not point out to you the grave
and extraordinary inference TO be drawn
from such Il statement. namely, that the
government of France. which is a mem
Der of the league of nations. approached
q private citizen of a nation which is not
a member of the league with request
that the United States lead the way to
g world fraternity
France Also Gets Inquiry.
Secretary Turulty. responding to
questions admitted that the Presi-
dent also had directed an inquiry to
the French government to determine
whether any known steps had been
taken along the lines reported in the
newspaper quotation of Senator Hard
ing's speech.
1r-o,Jd MT
form the inquiry to the French gov
eminent had taken nor whether it
had been communicated through the
embassy here or through the Amer
lean ambassador at Paris.
Presidents Letter.
The Presidents letter. in full fol-
"ln the New York Times of yester-
day. Sunday / find a dispatch. dated
ST. Louis, October IS. which purports
to report recent public utterances of
yours. In it occurs the following:
Replying to criticism of his proposal
for an association of nations, he said
in rear-platform speech at Green
Castle. Ind. that he had already been
approached informally" by a repre-
sentative of France who asked that
the United States lead the way to
world fraternity
'1 write to ask if this is correct
quotation and if you really said what
is there credited to YOU ! need not
point out to you the grave and
Extraordinary differences to be drawn
from such statement. namely. that
the government of France. which is
81 member of the league of nations
approached a private citizen of a ma
fIon which is not member of the
league of nations with a request that
the United States lead the way to a
world fraternity The Department of
State has always found the govern
1uent of France most honorably mind
ful of its international obligations and
punctlHouSly careful to observe all
the proprIety of International inter-
course. ] hesitate therefore, to draw
The inference to which / have referred,
unless ! am assured by you that you
actually made the statement.
VERY truly yours,
WOODROW WILSON"
Not Yet Received at Marion.
MARION, Ohio. October is (by the
-Nssociated Pressi--Senator Harding
Jas declined since his Green Castle
speech 10 elaborate on the statement
that France had sent spokesman
TO him, asking that America take the
lead in the formation Of an associa-
1ion of nations.
Beyond repeating that the sugges-
ton was made informally" the re-
publican nominee had indicated that
he would not make public any fur
ther particulars.
OtficiaIs at Harding headquarters
said President Wilson's inquiry on
The subject had not been received
when il was made public today in
Washington. 1t was said that a pub
lic reply probably would be made
10y the senator as soon as the mes
sage had reached him officially.
The republican nominee may have
a reply to the President to make
Jublic tonight 1t is understood that
his answer will declare that the
French government, acting as such.
did not violate any of the diplomatic
7,roprieties and will call attention to
The fact that the government was not
named in the nominees remarks