Omaha daily bee., 1921-05-07
Harding to
Send Envoy
To Europe
President Accepts Invitation
To Have Representatives
Attend Meeting of Re.
parations Commission.
No Power To Bind u. S.
By ARTHUR SEARS HENN1NG.
Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire.

chicago Iribune-osnRha nee Leased WHes
Washington, May 6, - President
Harding accepted the invitation Of
the allies to send representatives OF
the United States TO participate i'll
the supreme council, the reparations
commission and the conference OF
ambassadors.
This resumption of participation in
the councils of the> allies, the prcsi+
dent aims to carry out without en-,
tanging the United States in purely
European affairs The American rep<
rcsentatives will participate in thu
| deliberations, but not i'll the actual
decisions OF the several conferences,
They will have no power to bind
the United States to participation ot
in support Of any specific course OK
action. The United States will conl1
nit itself only by legislation or treaty
in dealing with foreign questions in
which there is, direct or indirect
American interest.
Harvey to Represent U. S.
George Harvey, American ambas~
sador to Great Britain, will represent
the president officially in the supreme
council which, however, is an unof-
| fetal body composed of the heads Of
states for conference on general
policies.
Rowland w. Boyden, Boston
| lawyer, will be an unofficial Amerl-
can representative without a vote III
the reparations commission, body
created by the Versailles treaty to
assess German indemnities.
Hugh c. Wallace, American am-
bassador to France and eventually
his successor, Myron Herrick, will
be unofficial American observers
without vote in the conference OF
ambassadors, formally constituted
BODY which works out in detail pol
icies adopted or proposed by the SUI
preme council.
President Harding announced tho
decision OF the administration fol-
lowing the cabinet meeting at which
it was discussed and approved.
Shortly afterward Mr.. Hughes made
public the invitation received from
! the allied governments and the favor
able reply thereto by the United
States.
| The invitation was conveyed Ill
! message from Mr.. Lloyd George, the
British prime minister, which was re-
ceived several days ago.
Congress Action Unnecessary.
In taking this action the president
carefully kept within the confines OF
executive prerogative. The Ameri-
can representatives will speak for
the president in performance of his
function on administering foreign at
fairs. AS Mr.. Boyden is to act un-
officially, authorization by congress
and confirmation by the senate of his
appointment are deemed unnecessary.
No appropriation will be asked OF
congress for the expenses OF Mr..
Boyden and his staff of assistants,
the expenses being met by. the State
department.
In this way the president has
avoided raising the issue i'll congress-
of the wisdom of the resumption of
American representation i'll allies
councils. Mr.. Boyden sat in the
reparations commission for a time
under the Wilson administration, but
when the Versailles treaty was re-
Jected Mr.. Wilson asked authority to
continue him on the body. The senate
foreign relations committee refused
the authority and Mr.. Wilson with
drew Mr.. Boyden and his staff to
Paris, where they have been waiting
several months for the decision OF
the Harding administration.
U. S. Vitally Interested.
The president and Mr.. Hughes
took the position that the United
States is vitally interested in the
economic recovery of Europe, which
is dependent on the settlement Of
the reparations question and that
it would be better to participate
in the allied conferences and pre-
sent American views than to hold
them all and protest afterward. de-
clslons unsatisfactory to the United
States. which might have been
averted by preferred council.
The cabinet agreed unanimously
with this view.
Senator Borah of Idaho, leader
of the "irreconcilables" declined to
discuss the question because he said
he had no desire TO embarrass the
president"
Senator McCumber of North Da-
kota, strong advocate of the terms
said:
Il cannot help but feel that we
should not get ourselves into a pos
ition where we would virtually be
arbitrators in disputes with which
America is not primarily concerned.
Failing to go in the front door. /
don't think we should go in by the
back door,"
Senator Pomerene of Ohio, and
Senator King of Utah, ardent advo-
Gates of ratification of the Versailles
treaty, endorsed the acceptance of
the invitation.