The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1920-09-07
HARDING LEANING
TO TREATY VIEW OF
TAFT AND HUGHES
Wickersham Speech May Indi-
cate He Differs With John
sons Interpretation.
By DaUid Laurence.
Especial Correspondent Of The
Evening Worldly

Evening Worldly
CHICAGO. Sept Z Copyright, 1890.
Two gentlemen between whom, po-
liticaily speaklng, there is no love
lost, are having a most uncomfortable
time in tAis Congress and friends Of
both are wondering which shall have
proved accurate in analyzng he
mind OF Senator Harding or Presi-
dent Harding as the case may
be after next November.
Somebody, TO borrow a phrase from
William jennings Bryan, Is going 70
ind his heart I'm the grave" when
Mr.. Harding chooses between tho
wishes Of the so-cnlled irreconcilables
and the mild reservationists or
friends Of the treaty and League.
Some people predict that Mr.. Hard
ing will make the choice before elec-
ton day, others say he will wait un-
III after the polls have closed.
Hiram johnson is the one and Her
bert Hoover is the other. Mr.. John
son Is opposed 70 the League of Ma
tions and L. convinced by a reading
Of the Harding speeches that the
Ohio Senator, II elected, win reject
the whole League business, while
Mr.. Hoover is satisfied that Mr..
Harding win approximate. the posi-
tion which representatives like Taft,
Hughes and wickersham have ex-
pressed as their understanding of
Senator Harding's innArrnost thoughts.
Meanwhile. the friends OF johnson
were elated by Senator Harding's
speech OF Aug. 20 and now they are
correspondingly dlsmayed by the
statement Issued at Marion by George
W. Wickersham former Attorney
General In President Taft's cabinet.
That statement was read and ap-
proved by Senator Harding before
being Assved through tina @tenogra-
phic corps of Harding headquarters
or u is the first important statement
issued from the front porch that has
not gone through that process.
TRIED TO WIN FRIENDS OF
TREATY AND LEAGUE.
But the tendency at MaPion has
been to win the friends OF the treaty
and League, and the writer pointed
out at tho time Charles Evans
Hughes went 70 SEQ Senator Harding
that the Republican nominee was
leaning toward the Taft-Hughes-
WickerShaTn-Hoover wing OF the
party and moro and more away from
johnson, whose cause he had es-
Doused in earlier speeches.
Moreover. Mr.. wickersham con-
firms clearly a view of Senator Hard
ing'S position on the treaty which
this correspondent found on his own
visit TO Marion in July, namely. az
Mr.. Wickersham expressed It, that
Mr.. Harding would not wholly and
finally reject the League" but would
take the lead in >revislng tho cove.
nant and putting 1t Into practical op,
Grafton.
There Is one portion OF Air. Wick.
ersham's statement which. however
u the Republican nominee read. hC
could not have approved, but the sig
nificance Of it as an utterance on tn,
very threshold OF the Ohio Senators
home and its resemblance to state
ments made by Gov. Cox. the Demo
cratic nominee, Ia simply that afte
the election is over the position takel
by either OF the candidates who 4
successful will tend toward tho sam
goal, for the simple reason that eacl
would be confronted by the same sc
, OF facts and circumstances.
"I earnestly favor the League OF Ma
tons" says Mr.. wickersham withou
referring indefinitely TO IA" Leaga
> of Nations. IL recognize the imper
fectAons OF the Paris covenant. Ys
1 should have been satisfied TO Sc
II ratified as written, believing tina
the power OF amendment was ampl
TO enable It 10 be nodded as nations
interests might make necessary. Sen
Ator Harding does not wholly an
finally reject the League. He recol
uldea Nhth ~ may hhNo oeuohle
entwined and interviewer IN II
u peace OF Europe that It's good wur
3 and It's unobjectionable provision
must be preserved in order 70 stabi
iEe the peace OF that continent"
=. Mr.. Wickersham represents SenG
u tor Harding as unquestlonalbly II
clined 10 adopt "the" League of NG
u tions when he is elected even thouR
Il may have TO be modified to r
move all just doubts as to It's undi
d, erect upon American rights and II
z, terests" which, In nutshell Is u
Taft position, the Hoover positio
and now the position. too, Of Go
10 Cox.
a. Somebody will have analysed N
HRrdings views Incorrectly by 4
y. time election time has come and tn
correspondent predicts that Senat
oy Johnson will find his interpretati'
OF the treaty and League differe
from that held by Senator Hardin