New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-12-17

ma as to what the United States
shall do about the Versailles treaty
and the League of Nations. The
conference will take place at The
home of the President-elect in Marion
and will begin about December III
and run for a fortnight or more. While
there has been no public announce
ment as to the definite arrangement
for this series of conferences, the I'M
Outstanding here Is that the president
until he feels that he has absorbed a
proper amount of information. Elihu
Root. former senator n former sec
rotary of state, has been invited TO
be in Marion December 10 and it Is
presumed that he will be the first man
consulted.
The men who are to be consulted
with respect to the treaty and the
league divide into three groups. First
there is the group made up of So
tuiitu littolltllubiCNt i'l'ut'i'oh' 1919
Democrats. who are opposed to the
United States becoming a member of
any international league or associa-
ton. Then there is a second group
made up of men who would discard
the Versailles treaty, including the
League of Nations covenant, and at
tempt to bring the nations into some
sort of understanding looking to the
prevention of war. Finally there Is
the group made up of men who be-
lieye that the United States should
go into the existing league with proper
reservations, and once In, seek to
bring about such amendments as may
seem desirable.
Some Who Will Be Consulted.
Public men who have thus far not
been invited to confer with the Pres
id%ent-elect on the treaty n the
league are specializing as to the men
who will be asked out to Marion. 1t
Is taken for granted that the irrecon-
cilable group will be represented by
Senators Hiram w. Johnson OF Cali
fornia, Frank b. Brandagee Of Con-
necticut and William +. Borah of
Idaho, Republicans, and James A.
Reed of Missouri, Democrat. 1t Is by
no means certain that all four or
these irrecOncilables will be called
into conference. but certainly this Will
be the group from which Mr.. Harding
| will choose. Senator Johnson will, OF
course, expect to be called into con-
ference since he has been the leader
of the irreconcilable group.
When It comes to looking for advice
from men who would wipe h slate
clean and then attempt to form some
sort Of an international association.
the Presldent-elect, II is believed, Will
turn to Senators Philander c. Knox of
Pennsylvania, George ii. Moses of
New Hampshire and Harry 5. New
of Indiana.
In making selections from the third
group, Mr.. Harding will have n some
| what larger company to choose from.
There will be Elihu Root, William ii.
Taft, Jacob Gould Schurman. Senator
Porter ]. McCumber of North Dakota,
and Herbert Hoover, all Republicans,
and Senator Gilbert NJ. Hitchcock OF
Nebraska. Democrat. Mr.. Taft has al
ready received his invitation to go to
Marion. He will be there q day or
two after the visit of Elihu Root.
How Does Lodge Stand7
IA ..lI a.. natnl shnt SAnnfnr Harry
| Cabot Lodge, majority leader in the
senate and chairman Of the foreign
relations committee. does not appear
In either one of these three groups.
and yet II is certain that he Will be
consulted. He Is not assigned because
persons here who ought to know where
he stands, II anybody knows, confess
! they do not know what position he
will take In his conference With the
! PresIdent-elect. Most observers here
are disposed to classify Senator
Lodge with the irreconcilables, though
It is true, of course, that at the last
session he advocated ratification with
reservations and so voted.
AFTER the views OF the tnree groups
have been submitted. the President
elect, so persons who know something
about his program say, will attempt ia
unite the Republicans of the senate on
a program. This Is conceded by all
to be a big task.
The first assembly of the League OF
Nations will have completed its work
before Mr.. Harding begins his con
~ferences with the representatives OF
these groups. II is assumed that the
outcome of the assembly meeting will
not he without effect on the minds OF
the men who have been invited to con
fer with the President-elect and also
on the mind Of the President-elec,
himself. For instance. IL the meeting
Of the assembly should indicate
rather clearly that the league has
come TO stay whether the United
States enters II or not. that fact
would naturally become an important
factor IN the conferences.
H.~Lt. NnaIixeA