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Show HARDING OX THE LEAGUE In view of the attempts of Democratic Demo-cratic speakers to misrepresent the position of Senator Warren G. Harding Hard-ing as to the League of Nations, the following statement has been specifically speci-fically prepared by him and restates his position explicitly and emphatically. emphatic-ally. Marion, Ohio, Oct, IS It -seems to me that there should not remain a shadow of a doubt as to my exact position as regards 'he proposed league of nations, as drafted at Paris, Par-is, and submitted to the senate, and aa regards the great world sentiment senti-ment for a better understanding among nations to discourage war and generally to advance civilization Let me relate my position as explicitly expli-citly as my power of words permits: "First I am unalterably opposed to going into a league of nations as that particular proposition now stands. That proposal is contemptuous contemp-tuous of. and potentially destructive of. the American constitution. It is not favored by the American people. "Second I am in favor of a world association call it what you will, the name Is of slight consequence that will discourage or tend to prevent pre-vent war. and that will encourage or tend to encourage a better understanding under-standing among nations of the earth The old order of things is done with, not only in. America, but throughout the world, and the United States, always al-ways quick with sympathy, always just and usually led by commen sense sen-se must play its part in this new order. or-der. . "Third I believe that such an association as-sociation can be formulated without wrecking the constitution that re mains the cornerstone of our liber-! ties and our happiness; without sei- zing or filching the sovereignty that Is oUr. pride and our inspiration to fine- living and good works. ! "Fourth I can earnestly believe that the conscience, the ready sympathy, sym-pathy, the sense of justice and the plain common sense of the United States can be depended upon by the rest of the world, and that it would be stupid as well as unlawful, to attempt at-tempt to chain our sympathies, our sense of justice and our common j sense; to tie these strong, fine, dependable de-pendable American qualities to the possible selfish ambitions and aims of foreign nations or group of na--tlons. whose ideals are not the same! as ours, never have been and never j will be. "Fifth It is my purpose, when elected, to take the whole people in- I to my confidence as regards these, matters; to seek their advice and. more important, to act consonantly with their advice and to this end it will be- my pleasure, as well as my : duty, to call into conference with me i the best minds, the clearest minds j that America affords. T thank God -j that the time has come when I can ask the advice, of American women and especially the mothers of Amer- i lea. ..... I "The substance of these things has been said In some form or other in every address, and I say it all. definitely defi-nitely now, because I am not always fully reported, and I want America to understand my thought of cooperation cooper-ation as well as the abiding opposition opposi-tion to the league proposed.' |