Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-01-06
B|TTER-ENDERS NOT
Sd EASY To HANDLE
IS HARDING THOUGHT
"Best Minds' at Odds as to
Correct Definition of AS
ISOLATION of Nations" and
Trouble Looms
BY ROBERT r. SMALL.
Ueased Wire Service to The Journal.)
(Copyright. 1921

OSAA
ferences of the best minds" continue
here at Marion, it is becoming quite
apparent that much of the success
or failure of the plans Senator Hard
ing may have in mind as to the fu-
ture international relationship Of
the United States, will depend upon
the Interpretation of a single word
what is an association"
Some of the "best minds" are de-
cidedly at odds as to the correct
definition, and are pressing their
conflicting views upon the presi-
dent-elect The difficulty of the sit
uation arises out of the fact that
Senator Harding promised in his
campaign speeches he would do his
best, at the earliest possible date, to
bring about a new association" of
nations to replace the Geneva league
of nations, upon which he definitely
turned his back at Des Moines at
supposedly critical moment of the
presidential contest.
Senator Harding still is old-fash-
toned enough to believe that cam
paign promises should be carried out
so far as it is humanity possible to
do so. Certainly he feels this ought
to be done where the~promises were
so definite and personal as he made
them. Platform promises, of course,
are quite something else again
sort of relics of prehistoric age.
"Bitter-Euders" watchfu1
II. -,,..o.o - oorrv ont the
promise of a new association of ma
lions, a handful of the bitter-end IT.
reconcilables at Washington see too
close an approach to the idea of the
present League of Nations! and
handful of irreconcilables, 1t has
been proved in the past, can stir up
a powerful rumpus in the senate.
These irreconcilables say they will
oppose with all their might any at
tempt to set up what might be called
an organic association or League OF
Nations, regardless of how much OF
the Objectionable matter in the So
called Wilson league may be ellml-
natedl from the plan. The "bitter-
enders," or battalion of death" will
stand for nothing that smacks OF an
interna tiona1 governing body, no mat
: ter how nebulous the governing pow
err may be.
At the same time. all but two or
three of the irreconcilables want to
help Warren Harding when he
reaches the White House. They want
to see the Republican administration
a success. Of course, this does not
rafer to the. Democratic irreconcila-
bIes in this connection, and there are
likely to be more Of these than the
public suspects.
Senator Harding naturally would
like to be assured of smooth sailing
for his plan when he launches it IN
the senate. He knows what happens
to plans when there is no smooth
sailing, Mr. Harding is convinced ne
can easily satisfy those Republicans
who favored going into the present
League of Nations with proper reser-
vations, but the hopes he held fort
night ago that the irreconcilables
who were about to fall in line appear
TO have been a bit shattered of late:
Such irreconciIables as Senators FAN
and New are so friendly to Mr.. Hard
taa and such strict party men tney
fafied the president-elect into the
belief possibly that other irreconcil-
ables would be as easy to handle.
This has not proved the case.
Reeds Views
The irreconcilab1es are amendable
TO reason, however, to the extent that
they are willing to help Warren Hard
ing out by convincing him that
an "association" may mean many
things. Senator Reed. the Democratic
irreconcilable, broke the GROUND IN
this respect when he told Senator
Harding some time ago that he con-
sidered the exchange Of ambassadors
and ministers between nations as con-
stitutings an association OF nations
William Jennings Bryan told Mr..
Harding he considered that the thir-
ty-odd nations bound together in the
arbitration treaties he negotiated as
secretary of state, constituted an as
sociation of nations.
And more recently has come Sem
ator Knox, real leader OF the oppo-
sition to a League of Nations, to
point out to Senator Harding that 1t
is not necessary to set up a body Of
the nations in order to have an AS
ISOLATION" of nations. Mr.. Knox's
words have great weight with the
Dresident-elect. He argued conVinc-
5ngiy, it would seem, that the United
states should go no further than
70 make a declaration of policy but
the world peace again being threat
ened as it was in 1914 the United
States would cooperate with the
friends of civilization for the defense
of that civilization.
Seiator Knox insisted that the
declaration of such a policy, follow
ed by similar declarations from
other nations, would constitute an
association of nations. The binding
mower Of such an association, he said,
would be just as great as if it were
:. written on parchment and decorated
with signatures and sealing wax.
If it can be gathered from all OF
this that Senator Harding is much
perplexed as to just which way he
eventually shall turn, the reader has
a very good idea of the situation. a S
it exists today at Marion.