Imperial Valley press., 1922-12-28
HARDING SENDS
LETTER TO LODGE
ON BORAH PLANS
President Openly Opposes
Plan to Call Parley
on Armaments
Says Does Not Know That
Other Nations Would
Welcome Move
Nv United Press leased Wire

dent Harding today announced ms
opposition to the passage by the
senate of the Borah resolution re-
questing the executive to call an IN
ternational conference and arma-
ment limitation conference.
The President declared that the
passage of the Borah resolution was
undesirable "becausc of the false
impressions which may be conveyed
to Europe and even more undesir-
able because of the wrong impress
sion it conveys TO our own people,
His position was revealed in a
letter to Senator Lodge, administra-
ton leader in the senate, which
Lodge had read to the senate when
it met today.
1t would be futile to call such a
conference as proposed by Borah un-
til the executive had learned wheth-
er such a move would be welcomed
by the other nations, Mr.. Harding
said.
If congress desires to be helpful
in the present situation, he said, 1T
should modify the laws which pre-
vent American representations on the
reparations commission and prohibit
the American debt commissloh from
granting more liberal funding terms
to America s world war debtors.
Can't Dictate to Others
A settlement of the reparatiOns
question "must underlie any econ
omic rehabilitation of Europe,N Mr..
Harding said, but he emphatically
declared that the United States
would never say to one nation what
it should pay or to another what it
should accept.
In the letter which attacked the
hackers of the Borah resolution rath-
er pointedly, the President indicated
that he resented the Idaho senator s
move on the ground that it seemed
to assume the executive branch of
the government was not fully alive
to n world situation which is of deep
concern to the United Statcs.'
Presidents Letter
The president letter follows:
"My dear Senator Lodge:
"Replying to your inquiry rela-
tive to the proposed amendment to
the pending naval bill, authorizing
and requesting the President to call
an economic conference to deal with
conditions in the war torn nations of
Europe, write to say that l know
of no prohibition against such an
expression on the part of congress
but | do frankly question the desir
ability of such an expression.
think it is undesirable because of
the false impression which may be
conveyed thereby to Europe and
even more undesirable because of
the wrong impression it conveys to
our own people.
Resents Attitude
"On the face of things, it is
equivalent to saying that the eXecu
tive branch of the government,
which is charged with the conduct
of foreign relations, is not fully
alive to world situation which is
of deep concern to the United States.
AS matter of fact, the European
situation has been given most thor
ough and thoughtful consideration
for many months. Without ques-
tioning the good faith of the pro
posal, l am very sure it would have
been more seemly and the action of
the congress could be taken much
more intelligently if proper inquiry
had been made of the state depart
ment relative to the situation in
which we are trying to be helpful.
"Of necessity the communications
of the state department relative to
delicate matters among nations cam
not be bulletined from day to day,
but the situation is never withheld
from members of congress who
choose to inquire for confidential
information in n spirit of co-opera-
tion. Such inquiry would have re-
vealed the futility of any confer
ence call until it is understood that
such a conference would be welcom-
ed by the nations concerned, within
the limits of discussion which the
expressed will of congress compels
this government to impose.
Senate Could Help
"In ratifying the treaty of peace
with Germany, the senate made q
reservation that the United States
should not be represented on the
rcparations committee without con
sent of congress and no such con
sent has been given. Moreover, in
creating the world war debt funding
commission that body was restricted
to explicit terms for rates Of inter