Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1921-03-16
FAVORS MODIFIED
LEAGUE OF NATION
French. Embassy. Seeking. fol
Harding's Acceptance of
New Form

It was stated at the foreign Of
flee to-day that negotiations were un-
der way between the French embassy
in Washington and the state depart
ment in an effort to induce President
Harding to favor acceptance of a
modified League of Nations.
The French position is conciliatory
and is believed to relate to express
sions by officials connected with the
present Washington administration,
made during the peace conference.
The situation of the American
troops on the Rhine is one which has
been brought forcibly to the attention
Of the President by the recent adj
vance of the allied forces into Ger
many to enforce provisions of the
Versailles treaty. The only announ-
cement made here has been that the
accord with the policy of the previous
administration insofar as it provided
for non-participation in the allied adj
vance, and that on the other hand,
withdrawal of the American army
was not Immediately under conside-
ration.
Officials are in close touch with de-
velopments, however and more de-
finite policy probably will be predicted
upon them during the next few weeks.
Related in some degree to the Rhine
situation is the question of American
participation in modified league of
nations. To-day's dispatches from
Paris, saying that the French embassy
here was reported to have approached
the State department on the subject,
were the first public intimation that
negotiations regarding the league had
been received and that the general
attitude of officials indicated that con-
versations had not yet passed beyond
a preliminary stage.
There was every evidence, how
ever, that such move on the part of
the Paris government would fit in with
President Harding's own notions of
how the subject shoul be approached.
1t has been the understanding among
those close to Mr.. Harding that he
not only has hoped for frank ex-
preston from the other governments
concerned, but has planned to feel
out informally early in his admins
tration. If the expectations of some
administration officials are fulfilled,
a considerable period of informal con-
versations will ensue before the stage
of actual diplomatic interchanges is
reached.
Whether the President intends to
send representatives to Europe, ac-
credited officially or unofficially to
make inquiries for him, has never
been revealed. Speculation about the
capital has turned toward the pre-
sumption that he will do so, and even
has busted itself with guesses about
the men most likely to be. selected for
such mission The name of Elihu
Root frequently has been mentioned
but if any sort of mission actually has
been entrusted to Mr.. Root or any
one else, some of the Presidents closest
official aides do not know of it.
One plan which is said to have been
urged upon Mr.. Harding would pro-
vide for the dispatch of an emissary
to establish a listening post at the
next meeting of the League of Nations
at Geneva during the coming sum-
mer, and later to make canvass of
sentiment in all European capitals. If
that is done, it is expected that at the
same time the embassies and legations
here will be asked to lay on the table
whatever information they have as to
the attitude of their governments and
that out of the whole inquiry series
of formal negotiations may eventually
be evolved.
Some of the highest officials of the
administration believe it still is too
early to forecast toward what object
i've these negotiations might point
whether they would contemplate a
modification of the present league to
make it acceptable or the establish
ment of an entirely new international
structure for peace 1t is understood
that they would be undertaken with
confidence that the interchange of
of opinion would solve that question
satisfactorily.