Great Falls tribune., 1921-03-30
President Wilson called. for "a
solemn referendum vote" Of the

solemn referendum vote OF the
people on his foreign policies at
the last election. If he got it then
by an overwhelming majority the
Wilson foreign policies were re-
pudiated at that election. The
vote was so taken by the present
Republican administration, and we
have not seen any denial of the
fact on the part Of leading Demo-
Gratis. But if they rejected the
Democratic foreign policies in that
vote they endorsed the Republican
foreign policies at the same time.
What these Republican foreign pol
icies were at the time Of the cleo
ton no man knew with certainty,
and no man yet knows with any
certainty. The Republican party
platform makers almost split the
Republican convention in two over
the drafting of the plank on foreign
relations, and finally adopted a
statement that faced two ways, in
good lord, good devil attitude
toward the burning question OF
whether this country should or
should not join the League Of Ma
tions, with certain reservations.
The compromise resolution COM
mended those senator's who voted
to join with certain reservations.
either mild or radical, and also
commended the action Of those Bit
ter ender senator's, like johnson
and Borah, who would have none
of it under any circumstances.
! Through the campaign Mr.. Hard
ing blew hot and cold on the sub
iect. Toward the end he seemed to
lean to the Borah- Johnson side,
and then to offset that, he had 81
prominent league advocates, in
cluding his present secretary Of
state, Judge Hughes, came out pub
licly in a signed statement to the
effect that they believed that the
election of Harding would do more
to bring about the entrance Of this
country into the League of Nations
than the election of Mr.. Cox, who
was pledged to that action, would
do. The selection Of Mr.. Hughes
as secretary of state by President
Harding rather alarmed some Of
the anti-league senators, who ex-
pected that Henry Cabot Lodge,
chairman of the senate foreign re-
lations committee, and an anti
league man, would be asked to take
the place. When the president
made his inaugural address many
people thought he would define the
foreign policy of his administration
with some clarity, but he did not.
His sentences were framed in what
Roosevelt called weasel words. One
sentence gave comfort to the anti
league bunch and the next one fol-
lowing on its heels gave encour-
agement to the other crowd. What
he said in substance would seem
to be that this country would nev-
er accept any responsibility Of any
sort for preserving the peace of
Europe or take any part in its at
fairs, or surrender its individual
initiative, but that it would CO.
operate with Europe in preserving
peace and the institution Of an in
ternational court for the arbitra-
ment Of war.
No one knows what the foreign
policies Of this administration will
be now, any more than they did
before Mr.. Harding was elected.
Probably these policies will not be
determined until the president
finds out what support they will
get from the senators. The only
constructive suggestion we have
seen so far, coming from a senator,
is the Knox memorandum submit
ted to President Harding at the re-
quest of the latter, shortly after
his election as president. 1t reads
as follows:
It is the declared policy Of
the United States, in order to
meet fully and fairly our obi
cations to ourselves and to the
world, that the freedom and
peace of Europe being again
threatened by any power or
combination of powers, the
United States will regard such
a situation with grave concern
as menace to its own peace
and freedom, will consult with
other powers affected with
view to devising means for the
removal Of such menace, and
will, the necessity arising in
the future, cooperate with the
friends of civilization for its
defense.