Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-06-17
HARDING ASKED
BY T EDITOR To
EXPLAIN TERMS
Of PEACE PLAN
Hamilton Holt Wants to
Know What the President
Has in Mind to SuppIant
Wilson's League.
DANGER OF DELAY IS
CITED BY NEW YORKER
People May Conclude THAT
You Propose to Put Party
Harmony Above World
WeIfareI" He Writes,
By The Associated Press }

By The Associated Press)
New York, June 16.-Harilton 8
Holt, magazine editor, who head
ed the delegation of pro-league OF
republicans that called on former
President Wilson during the last
presidential campaign, today made
public a letter he had written
President Harding asking him to
explain to the American people
the terms of the Harding associa-
tion proposed to supplant the Will
son league of nations.
"If you delay much further
people everywhere will inevitably
| conclude that you have no COM
crete plan at all else that you pro-
| pose to put party harmony above
world welfare" declared Mr.. Holt,
"In that event, there will be
nothing left for those who want
America to play her rightful part
in stabilizing the world but to or
ganize the country so as to cap
ture congress for the league in
1922 and the presidency in 1924"
League and Bolshcvism.
This, Mr.. Holt asserted, could
be done. He declared that the
| league of nations and bOlshevism
were the only great ideas that had
come out of the war as world
panacea and asked the president
whether he could guarantee that
| the world would not turn to boil
shevism if it came to be generally
believed he had no plan at all for
the substitute of the league.
Mr.. Holt, member OF the
League to Enforce Peace took a
hand in the last presidential cam
paign by making public a list of
100 republicans who had bolted
the Harding ranks. His letter fol-
lows:
Hollis Letter.
at is now six years that the
league of nations issue has been
before the country. 1t is now two
years that you as senator, presi-
dental candidate, president-e elect,
and president, have had the league
of nations issue officially before
you.
LAS senator, you voted to have
the United States enter the ex-
listing league provided the Lodge
amendments were made part OF
the act of ratification.
"As presidential candidate you
left the country and even your
own followers in doubt as to your
attitude. Thirty-one pre-emiment
republicans-among whom were
your secretary of state, Mr..
Hughes, and your secretary Of
commerce. Mr.. Hoover. assured
their fellow countrymen that you
would go into the existing league.
Senators Borah and Johnson and
the other irreconciliables' assured
them you would not.
Attitude Not Disclosed.
LAS president-eleCt you did not
, see fit to disclose your attitude on
the league beyond what you had
said during the campaign. Both
the 'thirty-one' and the irrecon-
cilables' claimed you for their
own.
"As president, however, you
have unequiVOcally repudiated the
existing league of nations, whose
area comprises considerably more
than half the earth and whose
population numbers three-quarters
of the human race. You even
permitted without rebuke your
ambassador at the court of st.
James to say that you will have
nothing to do with any commits
sion or committee appointed by
the league or responsible to it d.
rectly or indirectly. openly or fur
lively
Campaign Promises.
you have, nevertheless, as pres
idential candidate Repeatedly
promised during the campaign, and
as president you have reiterated
that promise, that you will seek
to establish AN association of ma
tions based upon the application Of
justice and right, binding us in
conference and cooperation for
the prevention Of war and point
ing the way to a higher civilization
and international fraternity in
which all the world might share"
"You have not yet given the
American people the slightest ink
ling of the terms of this Harding
association that you propose shall
supplant the Wilson league. Has
not the time come, l respectfully
ask for you to do this? Surely you
cannot expect the forty eight MEM
bers of the present league to scrap
1t and come into your association
unless two things are perfectly
clear:
First, that the new association
is substantially as good or better
than the existing league, and,
Second. that at this time a pro-
, posal of a president of the United
States will have the permanent and
overwhelming support Of the Amer
lean people.
Must Be Full Discussion.
"You are statesman of suffi-
cient experience to know that our
people will not support your asso-
ciation-no matter how excellent
without the fullest preliminary dis
cussion. Events Of the last two
years have demonstrated this. You
, cannot, therefore, hope to get pub
lie opinion behind your association
without taking your countrymen
, into your confidence.
Even IL your own party were
completely united on the issue, you
would still have to get some demo-
, cratic support to assure the ratif'-
cation of your association by two
, thirds of the senate. AS your party
was the one that first made the
! league a party issue, the demo-
=, cratic senator's would be only
, human now If they turned the
tables and also made your assocla-
, tion a party issue. They control
! more than a third of the votes in