Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1921-01-14
SULiIVAN'S DIAGNOSIS OF THE lEAGUE
SITUATION,

the most intelligent OF our news.
paper correspondents. writing from
Washington Jan. eth. Mr.. Sullivan
says:
IF anybody assumes that Hard.
ing out of all he has heard from
his recently ended conference will,
best minds is going to make :;
uiStliled essence. So To speak, and
that distilled essence is going 10 be
llardinG's programme with regard
The League of Nations. such an as
sumption is very wide of the mark
81 have talked with many, per
hapS most. Of the important per
sons who have discussed with Hard
ing his plan for an association Of
nations as Il variation or subSt-
tutc for the Lcgue Of Nations. On
the basis OF this information,
think it is safe TO say that all that
Harding has in mind is this. He is
making plan.
The plan will not 20 into de-
tails. Harding does not intend that
II shall 80 into details. 1t is mere
~ a set of principles, so TO speak
and he intends to restrict it to that.
This plan he will disclose j nhis
inaugural address, on March 4th.
Within week after March 1, he
Will put certain machinery in mo-
ton. AS to what this machinery is
Senator Harding has made no great
er disclosure of details than he has
made OF his plan for the League of
Nations. | assume this machinery
Will consist of commission to ne
gotiate with the leading nations of
Europe.
THAT is all that Harding has in
mind. SO much for that.
Let us now consider the forces
at work outside Of Harding and TO
some extent antagonistic to Hard
ing.
The first thing to remember is
That Harding can not make or can
not put through any plan whatever
affecting foreign relations except
by ana with the consent of the
Senate. So far as that is concern
ca. II would be contrary to every
lhlng We know Of Harding if he
should try TO combat the preroga-
i've OF the Senate. II is very de-
cidedly to be believed that what
ever plan Harding puts out will
ilrst have been shown to the Senate
and Will have the assent of that
body. He will attempt nothing I'M
III he Is first satisfied it can be put
through. The will of the Senate is
The measure of what Harding can
put through.
The difference between Harding
ana Wilson is that Wilson concciv
cd plan and then attempted to put
that plan through against he Sen
ac's will. Wilson tried TO get the
public back Of him, and with thai
public backing him tried to beat
The Senate down.
Harding is not likely to do any,
Thing like that. Certainly not in
The early stages OF his administers
non. Harding is much more likely
10 concIliaic the Senate. to find out
now far The Senate is willing TO 90.
ana then adopt that as the maximum
of his own plan.
Lei us then see what The new
Senate is likely to do.
"Thc new Senate is ovcrwhcl-
minSly Republican. What action
II is to take about foreign affairs
IS most likely to be determined by
The Republican majority. The pre-
railing drift Of that Republican
majority is markedly anti-lcaguc.
The Republican majority i'm the
new Senate. in all probability, when
the time comes will hold caucus
on this subject. Indeed, suspect
that informal caucuscs are already
being held by group Of Senator's.
who | think, are likely TO be domi
nant on this subject.
II suspect. but can state il no
more strongly than suspicion.
, that the last week was an altcrna-
i've to our entering The League of
NationS was the result of just such
an informal caucus Of group. II
is fair TO Senator Knox 70 say thai,
he rather cvadcd admitting this.
But Senator Knox certainly did
not stand alone in such sen salion-
III step rs he took. Most Of the old
lrrcconcilablcs must have been
back Of him. And the irrcconcjl-
ablcs in the new Senate will be
more numerous than i'm the last.
| That is incontcstable.
In The first place, most of the
new Republican Senators are ir-
rcconcilable in their leanings. I
know this is so because | have been
at pains TO talk with some of them
end correspond with nearly all of
them. The bulk OF them say they
are opposed TO the League, and
practically all Of them say they will
be guided by the attitude OF the
Republican majority or by the Re-
publican caucus.