Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1920-09-09

Marion, ~. lSpecldl. senator w ar
rem G. Harding Republican nominee
for President, in a speech delivered "a
a delegation from Indiana which called
on him here to pledge the support OF
Indiana Republicans, declared that
twice President Wilson had an oppor.
tunity to obtain ratification OF the
League OF Nations covenant and that
he put ratification aside because lac
would not accept reservations designed
solely 10 safeguard American rights
senator Harding said
81 greet you in a spirit OF rejoicing
not a rejoicing in the narrow personal
or partisan sense not in the gra tlfyine
prospects of party triumph not in The
contemplation OF abundance In The
harvest fields and ripening corn fields
and maturing orchards; not In the re.
assuring approach OF stability after n
period OF wigglug and wobbling which
maTiied our ncertainty-though all
oc these are ample for our wide re.
joicing / rejoice that America Is
still free and Independent and in a 20.
sitlon OF self-reliance and holds 20 the
right of self-deiermination, which are
priceless possessions in the present
turbulence OF the world
Let US suppose the senate had rat
fled the peace treaty containing the
league covenant as submitted 10 II 10y
the president in July OF last year,
what would be the situation confront
ing our common country today? To
my mind there is but enc answer. Be.
fore this day we would have been
called upon to fulfil the obligations
which we had assumed under Article
10 OF the league covenant, 10 preserve
the territorial integrity Of Poland as
against external aggression
Sympathy for Poland
IL shall not now attempt TO meas
ure the boundless sympathy for the
Just aspirations and restored independ
ence OF Poland. Our present concern
Is the International situation which
Poland has brought 20 our attention.
The council OF the League Of Ma
tons would have reasoned, and rea.
soned correctly, that the United States
could furnish the munitions and, II
necessary, the men 10 withstand the
hordes- advancing from Russia far
more easily than could the exhausted
nations OF Europe. Moreover. mas
much as this would be the first test
Of the scheme Of world government
which was formulated and demanded
by the President, speaking for the
United States, the fact Of a special
responsibility, resting upon our should
ers. manfestly would have been I'M
deniable. Undoubtedly The league
council, in advising upon the means
by which the obligations 70 Poland
should be fulfilled, rs provided In the
covenant, would have so held. and
probably the conscience OF America
certainly the opinion OF the world
would have sustained that judgment
THE conclusion that our country
might now be confronted by such
situation, II the senate had ratified
The league covenant. requires no
stretch Of the Imagination. None can
deny that ii Is possible. To many
candid minds. as 10 my own, such q
distressing situation will seem high
ly probable. Let Us assume that the
ratification had taken place. Let US
assume. further. that the performance
ot the allotted task required the wag-
ing OF war upon the Russian people
as. Of course. II would, what would
result; what would OF necessity have
10 result? Nothing necessarily, we
are glibly Informed. since only the
Congress can declare war, and the
Congress might reject the appeal OF
the executive. Put would the Congress
do thatl Could the Congress do that
without staining indelibly the honor
OF the nation?
Answer ls mo"
81 answer No. and | say II not OF
my own authority alone. Back OF my
Judgment stands the President OF the
United States Upon that point there
is first hnnd Information. In The course
~ the discussion which took place al
the meeting OF the President and the
Senate Committee on Foreign Rea
lions raised the question by stating
hypothetical case precisely analogous
10 that which have depicted. aud then
inquired whether we might not right.
fully be regarded as a perfdious pes
CONTINUED