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[[clipped newspaper article]]

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PRESIDENT WRITES TO HARDING.

Wash.—The President's inquiry to Senator Harding, contained in a letter given out at the White House, follows:

"In the New York Times of yesterday, Sunday, Oct. 17, 1920, I find a despatch dated St. Louis, Oct. 16, which purports to report the recent public utterances of yours.  In it occurs the following:  'Replying to criticism of his proposal for an association of nations, he said in a rear platform speech at Grand Castle, Ind., that he already had been approached informally by a representative of France who asked that the United States lead the way to a world fraternity.'

"I write to ask if this is a correct quotation and if you really said what is there credited to you.  I need not point out to you the grave and extraordinary inferences to be drawn from such a statement, namely, that the government of France, which is a member of the League of Nations, approached a private citizen of a nation which is not a member of the league with the request 'that the United States lead the way to a world fraternity.'  The department of state has always found the government of France most honorably mindful of international obligations and most punctiliously careful to observe all the proprieties of international intercourse.

"I hesitate, therefore, to draw the inference to which I have referred, unless I am assured by you that you actually made this statement."

The letter to Senator Harding was given out without comment, but it was intimated that if Senator Harding replies that he was correctly quoted, there might be another letter or statement based on Harding's speech forthcoming from the White House.

Paris—French foreign office denies that any official overtures has been made to Senator Harding.  It is pointed out in the official statement, however, that it was entirely possible that individuals had spoken to Senator Harding on the subjects.
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^[[An excellent reply to Wilson by Harding is given in the N York Times, particularly Harding [[dignified Wilson's????????]]  being a member of the U. S. Senate foreign relations committee, to whom the Constitution gives duties & [[?]]. The French gov't did not have a [[???]] etc. You may have seen the letter of Harding, it was good.]]