Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-12-24
HARDING FIRES
SHOT INTO CAMP
OF HIS CRITICS
President Driven TO Denial of
Impending Disaster in
Arms Conference.
VARIOUS TALES AFLOAT
,eciaI to Indiana Daily Times

Harding tonight took vigorous wallOp
at the prophets of evil who are trying
to beclOud the conference situation. In
A straight from shoulder statement.
issued personally and verbally by him at
the White House, he denied the existence
of any semblance of discord between him
self and the American delegation. The
President affirmed in the most categorical
terms that the Quadruple treaty on Pa
ciac affairs contemplates no alliance or
entanglements Of any kind. He declared
his complete satisfaction with the I'M
American delegation, alarmed over the
cas- Spokesman at the conference are
achieving.
The Presidents broadsIde came at the
end Of a day replete with fresh rumors
OF turmoil and disaster impending for
the four-power pact Reports of the Wild
est sort flew thick and fast through
gossip-hungry Washington. One yarn
avowed that the treaty was already be-
ing Rewritten" Another had it that
reservations dictated by the President
himself were in compilation. designed to
remove the mainland of japan from the
provisions of Article ?. Still another tale
averred that the White House and the
American delegation alarmed over the
growing wave of hostility in the Senate
already were moving with foreign dele
cations to frame an entirely new pact.
HARDING AND HUGHES
STUDY TREATY.
Mr. Harding evidently decided the
moment had arrived for blowing those
fables and cOnjectures out OF the water.
His blast received additional force when
It became known that he was in con-
sultation az the White House with Sec
rotary Hughes just before the pro-
nunciamento was made. There can be
no doubt its text was gone over with
and approved by Mr.. Hughes before the
President himself made it public. The
statement was communicated TO the same
audience before which Mr.. Harding three
days previous announced his disa gree
ment with the theory that the Pacific
treaty applied to the home island or
Japan-the corps of Washin yton and con-
ference correspondents The Presidents
declaration came as a complete surprise
and was delivered with dramatic force.
He was manifestly primed for the
1 occasion.
PRESIDENT TALKS
TO REPORTERS.
Sitting through his fingers seven or
eight Of the written slips upon which
questions fred at him by newspapermen
now have TO be submitted Mr. Harding
remarked they all referred to q question
he had not failed to anticipate. Then he
read to the crescent of scribes which
fanked his desk an announcement. which
he emphasized he was anxious should be
attributed personally to the President Il
was follows:
''The President will offer no comment
on the disputes which attempt TO magnify
the differing constructions on the four
party treaty. To him these are unim-
portant. The big things aimed at are
understandings for peace and an agree
ment to meet and discuss the preserva-
ton Of peace whenever it is threatened
No alliance or ENHANCEMENT is thought
OF, none will be negotiated. It would be
better to rejoice over things accomplished
than to dwell on differing views which
can be Of no great consequence.
The President is unwilling that the
unJusti1ed charge that the United States
delegates are Withholding information
shall go unchallenged. He has full con-
fdence, else he should not have chosen
them. He has full confidence now and
Is more than gratifed over their efforts
because they are working out the great
est contribution to peace ond good
will which has ever marked the Christ
mas time in all the Christian era.
1t is one thing to talk about the
ideals of peace. but the bigger thing
is to seek the actually This the con-
overwhelming American sentiment, and
a void sentiment, too. and IN full accord
with cherished traditions"
1t became plain from the Presidents
statement that he is bent upon bringing
three cardinal facts home to the country
& and to the world, to wit:
L That he stands pat on his own orig
. inally voiced view as to the implication
Of Article ., in so far as 1t respects"
- 81 -
2. That divergence Of views on that
score is Of little consequence compared
TO the bigger" things the American dele
CATION is helping to achieve at the Wash
4 ington conference
8. That Messrs. Hughes, Lodge. Root
and Underwood retain. unimpaired. the
confidence the President placed in them
Z when he appointed them.
N SENATOR BoRAH
WANTS RESERVATION.
{ Probably it is expecting too much to
4 believe the Presidents thrust at his crit
! fes viii spike their guns. Indeed. about
4 the same time he was declaring himself
az she White House would-be makers of
the treaty were engaged in foreshadOw-
ed dtsstic handling Of the past when it
reaches the other end Of Pennsylvania
avenue. To Senator Borah was attrib-
j uted the completion of two reservations.
Y One already publicly alluded to by the
idaho irreconcilable cOntemplates 4 pro-
vision specifically exempting the main
land OF Japan from the conditions Of
Article The other would set forth
that no decisions taken by the four DOW
ers, under Article 1, when they come
together to discuss controversies shall
be binding upon tie United States ex-
cept under express sanction o Congress.
& To another opponent Of the treaty or
n VersafIcs-an and Wilson Democrat, Sen
y ator Shields Of Tennessee-was ascribed
d a statement that no matter what was
a done. downtown" Capitol Hill could and
would rewrite the whole QUadruple If
s It needed reconstruction.
OF more authoritative moment than
any Of those storm-signals was the an
& nouncement from Republican organiza-
ton leaders particularly close to the
= White House that President Harding
8 IN due course would confer with G. o.
Il P. Senators on the ensuing legislative
program. As that program will include
a the Pacific treaty and other conference
a agreements requiring Congressional sane
$ ton, the announcement indicates the i'm
a minence Of consultation among Mr.. Hard
4 ing and his political friends on ways
N aud means for plotting conference pacts
into harbOr. Throughout the tempes-
n tuous talk Of the last four days men
have paused long enough to recall that
= Warren G. Harding after all is "no
81 s1ouch" of a politician. Many are con-
Il WINGED his '@break'' about the japanese