The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-05-31

with authority when at the dinner of the Pilgrims club he declared the Uni- ted States went to war for the pur- pose Of saving our own hides" It probably doomed to failure, 1t is now indicated.
 It becomes obvious that the Presi- dent and the Secretary do not care to state whether or not Harvey was speaking for them. It is known that neither the President nor the Secre- tary is willing to admit such belief re- garding the cause which prompted the United States to take up arms And yet were they to declare sharp and formal difference with Harvey, 1t would be necessary that they recall him.
 At the same time. the President, since the Pilgrims club dinner, and It's sensational incidents, has on several occasions made pointed effort to let the people know that his own opinion holds the cause of Americas partici- patton In the war, a lofty cause-for the preservation of civilization, in oth- CT words. And Woodrow Wilson, for mer President, has contributed his mite in the general taking of issue with the Harvey conclusions.
 The Harding Opinion
 In respect to Colonel Harveys state ment that America went into the war solely to save the United States and most reluctantly and 1aggardly, at that" the President, in speaking about the returning dead. said in New York: These poor bodies are but the clay tenements once possessed of souls which flameds into patriotic devotion. lighted new hopes on the battle-ground of civilization, and in their sacrifices sped on to accuse autocracy before the court of eternal justice. They saw civilization threatened and rescued it.. They saw democracy challenged and defended it. They saw our nation s rights imperiled and stamped those rights with a new sanctity and re- newed security
 In his memorial day message to the American Legion, President Harding, in one brief sentence expressed the fact that the United States went to war to save civilization, and denied that It was reluctant or laggard. That sen tence, which has attracted the atten- ton of Congress, follows:
 When civilization summoned and our sons were called to other seas and skies and soils, we saw the same promptness, the same zeal. the same de- votion."
 Wilson Writes Letter Ex-President Wilson, in letter to the Stars and stripes, pOlnteuly ldhe' issue with Colonel Harvey though he makes no reference by name to the ambassador The following excerpt from the letter has attracted attention today in Washington:
 we celebrate the immortal achieve ments of the men who died in France on the field and in the trenches, far away from home, in order that both our own people and the speople across the seas might be delivered from the ugliest peril of all history. 1t is our privilege not only to indulge a high and solemn pride and grief for the he- roes of that great struggle, but also to rededicate ourselves to the achieve ment of the great objects for which that war was fought We shall not be happy we shall not be able to enjoy the full pride of the days recollec- tions until we have made sure that the. duties which grew out of the war have been fulfilled to the utmost In the meantime. an efort Is under way to secure signatures in Washing ton to a cablegram to be addressed to i the British government, Identical witn 1 that dispatched last week by 800 Dusi- ness men of New York.
 This telegram declares the signers l to have voted for Harding, but not with the understanding that the uni . l ted States was not to be "beguiled l into entering the league, but that II would voluntarily enter after the en- actment of certain reservations.