New-York tribune., 1920-10-22
Harding Takes
Ia 4POsitiO1ls ON
League. Cox
Governor Asserts Speeches
of Taft and Johnson
Show Further Wabbling
of Senator OIL the Issue
One Wrong, He Declares
Insists That He Stands for
Helpful Reservations;
Again Assails Sen. Lodge

BALTIMORE, Oct 21. Governor
James M. Cox, in an address here to-
night, assailed the League of Nations
speeches yesterday of Senator Harding,
former President Taft and Senator
johnson, of California, declaring that
they evinced further wabbing by Sem
ator Harding upon the league issue
The Democratic candidate empha-
sized his own league policies, declar.
ing that helpful reservations should be
q prerequisite to ratification.
Every one who is against the league
is against me-" Governor Cox declared,
insisting that Senator Harding stands
for scrapping the league. The Gov
ernor also asserted that because of
league differences between powerful
Republican groups the election of Sem
ator Harding could not bring ratifica-
tion.
at is this League of Nations or no
League of Nations" the Governor said.
Quoting MIR. Taft, the speaker asserted
that a new peace association of nations
was impossible.
Criticizing yesterdays league pro-
nouncements, Governor Cox said that
Mr.. Taft expressed confidence that
Senator Harding would cause ratifica-
tion and that Senator Johnson ex-
pressed equal assurance that Mr..
Harding would reject the league
Either Johnson or Taft is wrong"
the Governor declared, "and only Sen
ator Harding can tell the American
people which. If Senator Harding has
not given a private assurance to both
men, then his declarations are so am
biguous that Taft interprets them one
TOb &c 4 ha
duty of Senator Harding to advise the
American people frankly who is right
johnson or Taft II he fails to do
it he may be regarded as an impostor,
deliberately seeking to deceive the
American people,
The league was the Governors sole
topic here and at Wilmington, where
he made his only other address to-day.
His Wilmington audience hissed the
names of Senator Harding, when he re-
ferred to the Republican nominee s
signature to the round robin, and Sena-
tor Lodge, of Massachusetts, wnom the
Governor denounced again as the
greatest conspirator in his
tory
Senator Johnson and Senator Borah
are men of independent mind and inde-
pendent action" said the Governor to-
night. "Thcy are against any assoca-
tion Of nations and they are supporting
Senator Harding because they know
with his election the League of Nations
or any league can never be ratified.
at is amazing that men like Elihu
Root and William Howard Taft and
their associate among the eminent pro-
league Republicans can longer Justify
their support of Senator Harding in the
face of the facts unless they will
frankly say they put party obligations
ahead Of their duty to conscience"
The Governor said that Senator Har-
ding, with his speech yesterday, now
had taken fourteen different league
positions. Referring to Senator Har-
ding's offer of reward to any one
demonstrating that he had taken vari-
ant league positions, Governor Cox
said he was present 'to show how he
has attempted to wiegle and waoble his
way into the Presidency and to claim
that reward not for myself but for the
people Of America.'