The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-03-16

With the Idea OF Showing the Harding
Administration That 1t Is Not Nee
essary to Scrap the League OF Nations
i'm Order TO Build New Association.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
(Special Despatch to The Reformer.)
Copyright 1921.
WASHINGTON, March 16.-Although
official statements insist that Rene
Vivfani. former premier of France, will
simply pay a courtesy visit to the United
States. the truth is he has full authority
to negotiate with the Harding administra-
ton concerning a modified league of ma
tions. Ambassador Jusserand has re-
ported that such proposals or suggestions
would not be unwelcome and would be
given serious consideration.
! From this incident alone may be de-
rived the first news of the way by which
| President Harding and Secretary Charles
| Evans Hughes intend to proceed in carry
ing out the Republican campaign pledge,
which calls for an agreement with Europe
to preserve peace. The fact that the ini-
tiative comes from Europe relieves the
United States in a sense of the embarrass-
ment of approaching the European powers
with tale of defects in the present
league and suggestions for substitute.
/ While Mr.. Harding has certain ideas con-
corning an association of nations, he has
had no way of knowing until he got into
| office whether those ideas would prove
! acceptable to Europe.
Few people believe that the Viviani
visit will have an immediate effect. On
, the contrary. the expectation Is that q
conference of European statesmen VIII
| follow the return of NJ. Niyiani and that
| Europe will adopt a course of action
| after hearing directly or indirectly from
| the former French premier Just what is to
| be hoped for from the United States.
! While the government of Great Britain
| Is not sending any envoy to discuss the
| league of nations with Mr.. Harding, the
| deepest interest has been exhibited by the
! British in what may be accomplished by
M. Viviani. The former premier was one
of the brilliant figures at the Geneva meet
| ing of the assembly of the league of ma
lions and is regarded in Europe as one of
/ the ablest of its champions. 1t was
! largely through the efforts of NJ. Niviani,
| head of the French delegation at Geneva.
and Arthur BafOur of Great Britain
! that decision was reached to postpone
changes In the covenant until the new
| administration had come into power at
| Washington.
| NJ Viviani. like other Frenchmen. can
not understand why Mr.. Harding believes
/ the present league of nations Is a super
state or why il "surrenderS sovereignty
! they would never surrender their SOW
| ereignty to anybody either.
The discussion between VI. Fiviaui and
| the American government win be largely
| an explanation of the actual operation of
! the league and an attempt to discover
just what changes the United States would
| like to have made to- clarity the covenant.
| But the Niviani mission is predicated
on the idea that the present treaty and
| league must be the framework of any new
| association. The French decline to be
/ leve reports from America that the
United States wishes TO scrap the
! league or the Versailles treaty. If such
| proves to be the case NJ Nivian will adj
! wise Europe and an entirely different
! policy will be followed by Europe in her
! relations to the United States. Diplomats
/ here believe that the allied powers are
vitality interested in preventing any sep
arate peace between the United States
and Germany, because of its effect on the