Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1920-10-19
HARDING SAYS
ENVOY N01 SENT
Writes President His AdvIs-
ers Spoke Only For
French People =
TEXT OF LETTER GIVEN
Wilson Directs Inquiry to Quai ID
Orsav Regarding lncident-Hore
Than a Private Citizen

| Marion, Ohio, Oct. l9.-Rcr!y:mg to
an inquiry frcm Presiden, wilson,
Sel,ator Harding wrote the White
House last night that although France
, had SER: her Spokesman" to him in
formally asking America TO lead the
wav for am association Of nat:ans the
incident had not involved the French
Government in any violation cf IN
tsmnat;cnal proprieties.
The Senator declared that IN hi:s re-
ference to the subject in speech Al
G, eercastle, Ind. recently. nc cniy
had sough., TO convey the tnou"Ia:
that there had ccme To him these
who spoke sentiment wn.cn they
rvpreSeltcd 10 be very NANTES,
amcng the E'rcnch people" He added
that h..s wcr,.s "cculd nG, be construed
10 say that the French Government
has sen, anybody to me"
Referring 70 Mr.. Wilson's su@%es-
ticn Of ;mprcpricty N a foreign ma
ticn approaching "a private c'tlzen
on such Il subject. Senator HardiG
pointed cut that he is u member Of
the Foreign Relations Committee as
We 1 as nominee far the Presidency.
and suggested that AN iEfnrmal eN-
preston 10 me is rather more than
tta. t. a private citizen.
l'hc text Of Senator Harding'S let
ter, Sem: in reply to one from thc
Pres ;dert. asking whether the StrtEtor
had been correctly quoted in his
Greencas;e speech, follows:
Dear Mr.. PRESIDENT nave be-
fore me press copy Of rour letter
to me cf this date. though | am not
in rcceip; Of the original copy. ! am
t.ad to make Il prcmp: reply.
III il very grarifyin" that you
hesitate to draw differences without
my assurance that am correctly
quoted. The quotation as reported in
ycur letter is net exact. The notes Of
The s:cncgraphcr reporting my re-
marks quote me as saying France has
sen. her spokeSmen TO me inf0rmaEly,
asking America in its Fcw rea'!IZaticn
of the situation to lead the way fer
an as.ociation of nations.
II am sure that my words cou:d nc
be construed to say that the French
Government has sent Anybody 70 me.
The thought ] was trying to convey
WAS THAT there had come to me these
WIN Spckc a Seritimcrt which they
rcpr escrtpi 70 be very manifest
amarg the French people. but no:dl-
ing could suggest the French Gov
crnmert having violated the proper
t':is cf international relations. Official
France would never seek to 70 over
vcur h3rh Office as cur Cfief Execu-
tive to appeal to the American peo-
rgle Or any portion thereof.
II can see no imprcpricty in private
citizens of France or in Americans
decrlv friendly to France, expressing
70 me their understanding Of Scrt;-
merit IN that fn:cn','!y republic.
1T is ret important enough TO dis
cuss. perhaps. bet I very respectfully
! URGE that an informal expression to
me iS rather mere than th%t to p''i-
vate citizen. hold a place as a mem
Il ber Of the Foreign Relations Gem
m;ttce OF the United States Senate
which is charged with certain conStitu
tional authority in dcal;rv with fer
e:sn relations. and | am necessarily
ccr.cious that | am the nominee cf
the Republican party for President OF
cur republic.
In the combination of these twc
! p0s:t:ars it ought NO. be uhsc2'''iH
that some very devoted friends "l /"
new and he:ter relationship am1n% n"
r:ors, no matter whencc they como.
should wish to advise men relating t"
aspirations to cooperate with our own
republic in attaining tEat high pur-
| paSc. Let me assure you again Of the
observance CT all the proprfct!cS an
again asseps that th@ Frcrch Govern,
tmcrt has. n,aintEne! that er"at re-
lspent- fer your position 70 wh.ch
myself. subscribe.
! with great respect !! am, very
truly,