Evening star., 1921-03-10
FRANCE IS SEEKING
HARDING OK. UPON
MODIFIED LEAGUE
Paris Reports Negotiations
Are Under Way With State
Department.
u. S. OFFICIALS DECLINE
TO MAKE COMMENT
Though President May Sound Eu-
ropean Conditions Foreign Cues
tions May Wait on Do
mestic Ones.

BY the Associated Press.
PARIS, March lot was stated at
the foreign Office today that nego-
tiations were under way between the
French embassy in Washington and
the State Department in an effort to
induce President Harding to favor
acceptance of a modified league of
nations.
The French position is conciliatory
. and is believed to relate to express
sionS by officials connected with the
I present Washington administration
. made during the peace conference.
Secretary Hughes silent.
, By the Associated Press.
Administration officials withheld
comment today on the statement
made at the French foreign office
that negotiations were under way be-
tween the French embassy here and
the State Department with regard 10
the acceptance by the United States
OF a modified league of nations. The
impression was given. however, that
the initiative in any such development
/, rested entirely with the French gov
'ernment and that in any event the
matter had not yet reached the stage
OF negotiations.
Secretary Hughes refused to discuss
the question. 1t became known that
on last Tuesday he had half hour
talk with Ambassador Jusserand just
before the presentation of the diplo-
matte corps. Mr.. Jusserand is the
dean of that corps and at the time it
was understood that the visit had to
do largely with the reception of the
ENJOYS. Whether the subject of the
league of nations was broached has
not been made known.
President Harding has indicated all
along that his first steps in foreign
affairs would come after the formula
tion of definite domestic reconstruc-
tion program and that nothing formal
would be done until the attitude OF
foreign governments had been felt out
through unofficial channels.
Mr. Harding already has received
considerable information through his
unofficial sources regarding the feel
ing of European statesmen. and ii is
expected that he will make still
more exhaustive investigation before
he launches his foreign program.
tions take to inform him voluntarily
are expected to mt in with his general
plan of procedure. <yes -,sZs
Avenues Of lnformatien.
The Forthcoming visit of former
Premier Viviani on a special mission
and the return of Ambassador Davis
from London are regarded as open
formation. aside from those which
the President is preparing on his own
initiative. 1t would not surprise
those who have been in close touch
with the situation If. in addition. the
President sent several representa-
tives abroad within the next few
weeks to make Inquiries. In the nat
ural course of events the report of
such representatives would be ex-
pected to lead later to more formal
negotiations.
In such conferences as Mr.. Harding
has held with the Secretary of State
and congressional leaders only the
more pressing foreign problems are
understood to have been considered.
Such questions as the Panama Cost a
Rica hostiIities and the Colon bia n
treaty have pretty "ell occupied the
attention of the President and his
advisers on foreign affairs.