TROUBLE FOR HARDING IN LEAGUE QUESTION

"By refusing to accept the League of Nations many years must be lost before the benefit to the rest of the world that would have been caused by our prompt entrance can be fully made up," said Hamilton Holt, editor of the "Independent' and prominent pro-League Republican, in an interview recently with a representative of the CRIMSON: The popularity that was ours during the war has also been lost; this however, will be regained whenever we decide to accept the covenant, but the moral to accept the covenant, but the moral prestige lost can never be fully recovered, for when a nation has lost the confidence of other nations, no matter how good it many afterwards be, it can never regain the confidence once held towards it."

When asked whether the Harding administration would work for the League or against it, Mr. Holt replied, "There is no evidence either for one way or the other; we know no more now about his political plans than we did at the time of his election, and there is no way to determine them, for he was given a blank check by both the people and the Republican party. My reason makes me think that he will enter, but my instinct says no.

"That he was elected," continued Mr. Holt, "does not in any way imply that the majority of the people reject the league. It was simply because he was the candidate of the Republican party at a time when it was impossible for the Republican party not to win. The reason for its winning was that since it had the tremendous advantage of being the outside party, it was very easy for it to pick years hence, it will be equally easy for the Democratic party.

Cabinet Favors the League

"Whether President Harding will work for the League or against it, depends entirely as to whether he will be influenced cannot help but being quite strongly pro-League. But there are no Hughes or Hoovers in the Senate, and the answer depends alone on whether he will be influenced more by the men whom he appointed or by the men who appointed him. Whichever may it is it is inevitable that when the issue comes to a head, either one side or the other will be definitely alienated from the President."

In speaking of the action-of the Committee of Thirty-one, Mr. holt said, "These men were undoubtedly sincere in thinking that the election of Harding would bring about our entrance into the League, yet, in supporting him, they have placed themselves in a position of tremendous responsibility to the people, and only by our entering the League will this responsibility be relieved from them. The best thing for pro-Leaguers to do in furthering our prompt entrance is to give united support to the Committee of Thirty-one and their followers. But when the final showdown comes, as it soon must, and the Committee of Thirty-one allies itself with League opponents, there is nothing for us to do but fight."