Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-10
LEAGUE DOOR OPEN
BY WHICH HARDING
MAY EASILY ENTER
France is Urging President 70
Accept Wilson Pact in Mod
flied Form. Says Paris
HARDING IS SEEKING LIGHT
Ry Associated Press % Every Evening

~ Associated Press - Every Evening
Paris. March Io--It uas stated ~
the foreign Office today that negotia-
itons were under way between the
French embassy in Washington and
the state Department in an effort 70
induce President Harding 70 favor ac-
coptance u a modified League y Ne
tions
The French position i conciliatory.
and = believed to relate 70 expressions
hy officials connected with the present
Washington administration made dur
ing the peace conference.
Washington. March l0.-Administra-
ton officials withheld comment .oday
On The sta atement made At The French
foreign office that negotiations were
under way between he French EN-
bassy mere and the State Department
with regard p the acceptance By the
United states 81 A modified League n
Nations.
The impression vas given. nowevsr
that the initiative IN any SUCH develop
nent rested entirely with rhe French
government and tina, II any event The
matter had not yet reached the stage
Of negotiations.
This was diplomatic day al me
state Department and Secretary Hughes
denied himself 20 all callers except for
eign envoys Secretary Hughes re-
fused 20 discuss the question. Z became
known. however. that on last Tuesday
he had a half hour ak with Ambss-
sador Jusserand Just before the pres
entatiou Of the diplomatic CORPS.
Mr. Hughes .arer saw correspondents
.
CORPS and AZ ne time X was Under
stood that the visit had % 10 largely
with the reception ~ The ENJOYS.
Whether the subject y me League q
Nations vas preached hss not been
made known.
President Harding has Indicated all
along that MS Arst steps in foreign AZ
fairs would come after he formulation
~ definite donlestic -econstrlction
program. and that nothing formal
would - done lrtll rhe attitude q
foreign governments had b-en teit out
through unofficial channels
Mr.. Harding already mas received
considerable information through mis-
unofficial sources regarding the teeing
of European statesmen. and < = ex-
pected that he viii naSe sill more eA-
haustive investigation before he launch
IS his foreign program. Whatever steps
France and others have taken 20 IN
form him voluntarily are expected .
At in with his general plan OF procedure.
The forthcoming visit Of former
Premier ViyianI on a special mission
and the return OF Ambassador Davis
from London are regarded as opening
two important avenues Of information
/ aside from those which the president
Is preparing on his own initiative. y
would not surprise those who have been
in close touch with the situation. 7 IN
addition. the President sent several
representatives abroad within the neNt
few weeks tc make inquiries,
In such conferences as Nr Harding
| has held with the Secretary of state
and Congressional leaders only the more
pressing foreign problems are under
stood to have been considered. such
questions as the Panama Costa Rica
hostrities and the Colombian treaty
have rrettv well occupied the attention
Of the President and MS s-iNlsefS on
foreign affairs