The New York herald., 1921-11-28
HARDING PROPOSAL
ATTACKED BY BORAH
Fundamentally Like League Of
Nations Under Different
Name, He Says.
SEES NO REASON FOR 1T
Senator Prefers Body With
Fixed Powers to One That
Is Unrestrained.
SEES NO REASON FOR 1T
Special Despatch to THE New York HERALD.


Washington, ID. c.. Nov. 20.
In the opinion OF Senator William e.
Borah (Idaho). leader among the anti
league Senators. an association OF ma
tions as suggested by President Har-
ding would be practically the same
thing as the present League OF Nations,
containing the same elements OF dam
ger. In a statement issued to-day the
Idaho Senator says he sees no reason
why, IL America rs going Into this
kind OF a proposition. we should not ex-
pertinent with the one they have"
This is the first noto OF opposition In
the Senate to the Harding proposal
Comment from both Republican and
Democratic Senators yesterday was
generally favorable to the idea OF a
voluntary grouping of the nations Tor
the maintenance of peace, with continu-
ing conferences, as an outgrowth OF the
present Washington armament confer
ence.
The President has explained that his
plan does not contemplate any political
machinery or form of world supergov-
ernment, such as is set up by the league
covenant but is intended to be nothing
more than a series OF conferences like
the present one. but to which other ma
tions will be invited, including Ger
many.
League CamOuHage Seen.
'srhe proposed association of nations
has not yet been reduced to form nor
yet defined" Mr.. Borah said. "But
from what one gathers here and there
it is tbe old League Of Nations. with
possibly some reservations, under an
other name. It will be enga ged in pre-
cisely the same kind of work and doing
the same things that were proposed by
the league. 1t is not what you call it
but what it Is that counts. Fundamen-
tally and in tho practical workings of
the association of nations Il will not
differ from the League OF Nations. !
see no reason, therefore, why the forty
three nations which have signed the
League of Nations should be asked to
abandon it and transfer their names to
an association Of nations.
IF we want to go into this kind Of
proposition there Ia no reason why we
should not experiment with the one
they have. 1t is claimed by advocates
of the league that the present league
has been of service to Europe. IL so
there Is no reason for asking Europe to
scrap the old league and try new one.
II we are going into Europe we ought
to go in. If we are not we ought not
to be handing her a new league every
ninety days. She will likely conclude
that after the next Presidential election
~he would have another league. ] see
no difference whatever between Joining
the present league and Joining a new
leartIe by another name.
THE United States operates under
written constitution. Great Britain has
no written constitution. One OF the
ARGUMENTS being put forth now in favor
Of the association Of nations Is that Mr..
Wilson made mistake In giving his
plan y written constitution. that we
should adopt the British idea and under
take the league or an association with
out any written constitution or written
covenant whatever. In other words.
that the new association will consist OF
representatives of different governments
coming together with no limitation upon
their jurisdiction or power or authority
other than their own discretion. A con-
clave of diplomats sitting behind closed
doors with nothing TO direct OF limit
their powers save their own will and
discretion would be a rather interesting
proposition.
Problem of Choice.
II am Inclined to think that II the
American people choose a league they
will choose one which has Its powers
defined or at least an attempt to define
them rather than trust their destiny to
the unbridled discretion of few men.
Lloyd George suggested some time
ago, according to press dispatches. that
the Anglo-Japanese alliance be extended
to an Anglo-American-Jap alliance
and that this alliance take upon itself
the duty of administering China Now 1t
is said such an alliance would be wholly
Objectionable to the American people, but
that under an association of nations
the same thing could be effectuated and
accepted. 1t Is also being urged that
while the people OF the United States
would not be willing to form an alliance
with France and Great Britain to guar
antee the security OF France the same
thing could be accomplished under an
association of nations without any con-
stitution.
''It is also urged that the international
debt could be more successfully manIpu-
lated through the association. All Of
which things simply disclose that the
association of nations Is another name
for the league, with some additional
and more extensive powers annexed.