Omaha daily bee., 1921-12-24

Says Snll;:t ], );
Ma,s WV w. : :, "a :
Harding Declares Difference
OF Interpretation Of Four.
Power Agreement Is
"Unimportani.'
Praises Work Of Meeting

'hNA NV aR' fNhNa NeNA'N h'"N'
are. to his mind, "unimpor,aut."
Declaring that an unjustiiicd e
fort had been made TO magnify HI
difference OF view with the America
delegates regarding the treaty, tn
president asserted that he was "mor
than satisfied with the work of III
delegates and that they had his fu
confidence.
He also asserted that an unjustitle
charge had been made that tn
American delegation is 'wi,hholdin
information" and that he could nc
permit such a charge to be uncha
/ lenged.
Revcrtng to another feature OF th
! fight that is being made against tn
treaty in the senate. Mr. Harding as
serted that the pact contemplated II
alliance or enlargement II is i
/ full accord he said, with chcrishc
American traditions.
The presiden, asked that "uninl
| portant' controversies as 10 interprc
,ation should not be permitted to oh
scurc the major purpose OF tn
treaty, which he said was to pre-
serve peace and to provide for
means of consultation when peace /
| threatened
Text Of Statement.
The presidents statement, whicl
was delivered orally and then for
malv given out. follows;
"The president will offer no com
ment on the disputes which attemp
to magnify the differing construc
tons on the four-power treaty. Te
him these are unimportant. The big
things aimed at are understanding
for peace and an agreement to meet
and discuss the preservation OF peace
whenever it is threatened.
mo alliance or entanglemcnt is
thought of. none will be negotiated
1t would be better to rejoice over
things accomplished than to DIV, /
on differing views which can be oi
no great consequence.
The president is unwilling that the
i,njustihed charge that the United
States delegates are Withholding in
formation shall so unchallcnged. Hc
had full confidence, else he had not
chosen them, and he has full conf
dence now and is more than graft
fed over their efforts, because they
are working out the greatest con-
tribution to peace and good will
which has ever marked the Christmas
time in all the Christian era.
. ut is one thing to talk about the
ideals of peace, but the bigger thing
is to seek the actuality. This the
conference is doing, in harmony with
all overwhelming American senti-
ment, and the world sentiment, too.
and in full accord with cherished
American traditions"
Progress Toward Peace.
Replying to the question:: do You
feel that the world has made great
progress in the direction of peace
and good wil?" President Harding
said.
Il think | made some such reply
to similar question at the last in
terview. | do think SO. | believe
il with all my heart. | do not say
that with thought Of arrogating to
the United States of America any
greater part of the contribution than
that which has been made by other
nations of like Importance and like
civilization. But it seems to me tha.
in 1921, as we have come to know
more fully the aftermath of the war,
as we have come to appraise the
unspeakable cost of it all. there is
a new conviction in the hearts Of
men that that sort of appeal-the
appeals to arms--to settle interna-
t;onal questions is futile thing and
that we are unworthy of our posi-
ton and unworthy of the blessings
which fall to a righteous civilization
if we do not find some means for 4
righteous adjustment without appeal
to slaughter and waste and all the
distresses that attend. l think that
conviction has rooted itself through
cut the world and there must come
some helpful, progressive expression
OF it. think that expression is
being given at this conference. |
have no thought to preach on this
subject today but make your own
applications, please.
All Settlements Alike.
when men, sit about the council
table and look each other in the face
and look upon the problems delib-
erately. without passion, they find
the way to come to an agreement
And after all, there has never been a
conflict in the world that has not
been settled in the end in that way.
You have war; you destroy thou
sands or millions OF men and meas
ureless treasure and then you gath
er about a table and settle i.
II have feeling that mankind has
become wise enough to sit down be-
fore the war and try to settle it.
. "And that is the object of the four
party treaty. That is why / say the
small lack OF agreement in con-
STRUNG it is not significant. Why,
If there was a menace to peace in
Japan. what objection could there be
for the United States TO sit down
with her friend in the Orient and
with the other great powers and dis
cuss how the matter could be ad-
justed:
"If some one had done that when
Austria was threatening Serbia, there
would have been no European war.
The whole purpose of this confer
ence is to provide some means where
just. thoughtful, righteous peoples,
who are not seeking to seize some
thing which docs not belong to them.
can live peaceably toqether and elm
mate causes Of conflict"