The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-11-05
LAWRENCE SAYS
ROOT WON'T Be
DOMINANT FIGURE
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright, 1920. by Tho Intelligencer.

OASIS Oh foreign POl4Cy III INC Ae" az
ministration.
This plan which has been conhden-.
tally discussed during the, campaign
Will os put into effect just as soon aftdr
inauguration as possible. 1t has the
merit OF affording a beginning in the
inevitable process of reconciliation be-
.ween the various factions In the SEN
ate.
No matter what the votes may havo
been on the peace treaty and covenant.
tho round robin is the single document
that all the Republican senators. both
Irreconcilables and reserrationists have
signed. Senator Borah may have re-
marked during the campaign that he
was against all associations or alliances
vf any kind but his n2mo was stgned
10 the round robin the text OF which
puts him on record as tavorins some
kind OF League OF Nations.
Root Wont BE Secretary.
Moreover. It ma! b" surprise to the
world outside nt Marion. o.. but X Is IN
open secret here tnat Elihu Root VII.
not be secretary nt state in the next
administrati, II. Also, II may be dis
closed that Mr.. Root Is not in particu-
lar high favor here and that he Will not
be the minister extraordinary or high
commissioner TO deal with Europe as so
many people have supposed. There IS
not the intimacy between Senator Hard
Ing and Mr.. Root which has been so OF
ten suggested as tho basis for Hard
ing-Root team on foreign policy In the
next Republican administration. This
may be Disappointing to 4 large num-
6er OF people but II Is nevertheless true.
1t is known for instance that MIR. Root
sent Senator Harding a .caoleSram
from London. tho fricDdliness OF which
10 the present League Of Nations was
not to the liking OF the then Repuoh-
can candidate for the presidency.
Also, there Is q feeling here that MI
Root didn't play the game during the
campaign and that the part he took IN
the formation Of the International court
which has been created under the
League Of Nations was direct recogni-
uion Of type of world organization
which the Republican party was hight
ing.
hate against the people WHO made the
present League of Nations but one en-
counters strong convictions among 'hs
men who reflect Harding's viewpoint.
convictions that lean TO the more So
Borah and Mccormick than the pro-
leagucrs like Root or Taft. To be sure.
most OF the folks surrounding Harding
from whom he has been S,,s taking sdvtcs wi
They make no secret Of the fact tho
overwhelming election returns are
calmly pointed TO BY them as v!ndica-
tion of the "IrreconcIlable" viewpoint.
Senator Harding. however, has always
insisted that his political opponents
purposefy misconstrued his position as
one OF opposition TO any league or asso-
Perhaps this was because neither
Senator Borah nor Senator Johnson.
leaders Of the irreconcilable group. spent
much time arguing what KIND or a
league they would favor but condemn
ing the present league. The Republican
platform in Chicago, adopted by Borah
and johnson, favors "an international
agreement" to accomplish the same gen
nral object which the Democrats have
claimed the purpose OF the Wilson cove
nant But more specifically than the
Republican platform, the Harding policy
= reflected In the following text Of the
famous round robin sent originally by
the Republicans in the senate as warn
ing 20 President Wilson In the midst OF
the peace negc tiatlons:
Cites the Platform.
Whereas a committee OF the peace
.onfcrcnce has proposed q constitution
for a league OF nations and tho proposal
Is now before the peace conference Tor
It's consideration. now therefore.
"Be il resolved, by the senate OF the
United States in the discharge OF Its
constitutional dug OF advice in regard
70 treaties that II Is the sense or the
senate that while IL Is their desire that
the nations OF the world should unite TO
promote peace and general disarmament,
the constitution OF the people OF ma
ttons in tho form now proposed 10 the
peace conference should not be accepted
by the United States, and
BE II resolved further, that 1t Is the
sense Of the senate that the negotiations
on the part OF the United States should
be directed to the utmost expedition OF
the urgent business Of negotiating peace
tsrms satisfactory to the United States
and tn. nations associated in the war
against the German government and the
proposal for a league OF nations 10 IN
sure the permanent peace OF the world
should then be taken up for careful and
SariOuS consideration.
II is the last paragraph favorlng a
lea que OF nations to insure permanent
peace and the preceding paragraph eN-
pressing a desire that the nations OF
the world should unite to promote peace
and general disarmament which affords
President-elect Harding his promise for
new foreign policy. Senator'S Borah
and Johnson cannot go back on their
signatures 10 that document They are
committed to a general alliance or asso-
citation or whatever name 1t may be
called.
rrsa4y with Germany
Cnquestiouably It will be President
olect Hardng's purpose to negotiate
treaty with, Germany covering the main
points in the Versailles treaty which re-
late especially TO the United states. As
lions, II is genuinely hoped BY the pres
ident-elect that the good In the pres
ent covenant may be retained and that
The bad. as he sees Il. shall be, removed
by the common COuScnl pl aNA NV i''N-
iuns now members of the league. Sena-
tor Harding particularly objects to Ar
ticle Y and Article NJ and tn" clauses
relating TO international labor as wen
"a sundry other articles Involving the
use OF economic blockade. Senator Nc
Cormick and others declare confidently
that. the European nations Will gladly
scrap the present league and agree 70 a
revision and redrafting OF the whole
business.
Now in considering 4hts league Ques-,
ton Il Is well 10 bear in mind hrst that
the president-elect has an idea Europe
IS less interested In the present league
than in Americas cooperation In some
kind OF a world organization and that
mst a. Woodrow Wilson may have tn-
Yluenced the formation OF the kind OF
another American president has the
moral power 10 put through his particu-
lar kind OF program
Just what the league OF nations win
look like when tho negotiations between
the next administration and the Euro
pean powers are concluded is diHicult
70 say. Some "trrecorellaoles VIII De
satisfied II they can eliminate Article y
the covenant" with that article gone
and other articles substituted they may
be ready TO call II "a new association
or THE Harding league" and pSAh for
thus far is that President-elect Harding
considers himself committed TO some
Mind Of q league or association OF ma
fions, Beyond that no ono can go eN-
eapt 10 ray that Il 70 pretty we'll as
sared ana understood IN Mari that
EIihu Root will not ne the dominant hg-
ur4 In the next administration which
nublic opinion around the world has
been 70 ready % predict that he would
b.