Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-05-10
THE PRESIDENTS FOREIGN POLICY

Our correspondent who takes issue with the
EVENING NEWS in regard to the attitude that
President Harding should assume in handling
our foreign relations, as set forth IN MS letter
published elsewhere today, takes too much for
granted when he says that President Harding
was elected by the largest majority ever given
to any man ION an out and out campaign
against the League Of Nations and against the
ratification of the Versailles treaty.
While it is true that a great many people
made the League of Nations the issue In the
campaign and even President Wilson himselt
referred to the election as "a great and solemn
referendum the fact Is, there were nnou-
sands of voters who held the league issue 10 De
of minor importance compared with other
questions involved, and as far as the treaty IT.
self was concerned, we feel safe in saying that
the vast majority of the country favored us
ratification in one form or another.
Regarding the League of Nations, it will be
emembere that the Republican presidential
candidate himself was very much on the fence
regarding the issue. First he would make a
speech seeming ito scrap the league, them
within the next day or two, declare that ne
did not mean to scrap it at all, but favored an
'association of nations" etc.
That the League of Nations vas not looked
upon by everyone as the predominating issue
in the campaign was evident from the position
taken by such men as former President TART
who, while being one of the leading advocates
of the league. came. out strongly in favor of
the Republican ticket as being the quickest way
to get this nation into the league.
One of the features of the campaign was the
document signed by 100 leading Republicans
all MISUNDERSTANDING the election OF
Harding who, they insisted, was friendly to the
league idea. All through the campaign 1t was one
continual scrap between the pro-league and anti
league faction in the Republican party as TO
lust where the candidate stood. those In favor
of the League of Nations being just as active
in campaigning for the Republican ticket as
were those against. In fact, toward the end
OF the campaign Senator Borah, one OF the
leading 'bitter- enders' became so dissatisfied.
evidently feeling that Harding had been won
over by the friends Of the league, that he can
.celfed ns speaking engagements for the nat
tonal committee and toured the country as an
independent.
Two of the strongest advocates of %ratifying
the Versailles treaty although with reserva-
) lions as far as the League of Nations is con-
cerned, were Charles r. Hughes and Herbert
Hoover. 1t is significant that in selecting his
cabinet President Harding choose these two
men, one of them to occupy the most impor-
tant post in his official family while the "ir-
reconcilables' received no such recognition
whatever.
There is nothing inconsistent, therefore, with
the attitude President Harding has assumed re-
garding Americas participation In the deliber-
ations Of the councils and commissions created
20 see that the provisions of the Versailles
treaty are carried out. He will also be alto
gether consistent II, later on, he takes steps
toward having the United States enter the
League of Nations. 1t may be a modified
league, to be sure, but there is nothing he has
said or done that would indicate his refusal
10 have the United States join with the other
leading nations of the world in this great
movement looking toward the advancement of
Qualification and the urlift of humanity. Under