William Howard Taft (1909-13)Typed Letter, signedNew Haven, Connecticut, May 6, 1920. 2 pp. 10 1/2 x 8 in. (266 x 203 mm). Extraordinary typed letter, signed by Taft, to Republican Press Director Gus J. Karger; on Taft's personal stationery. Creasing from original folds; top left corner of each leaf damp wrinkled, residue and loss from two paperclips on recto and verso of same; unevenly toned.Twenty-seventh president William H. Taft writes to Republican Press Director Gus J. Karger, concerning the Knox-Porter Resolution, recently written by Taft's former Secretary of State, Philander C. Knox. The Resolution officially ended the United States' involvement in World War I, and was signed by President Warren G. Harding on July 2, 1921. Taft writes: "My dear Gus: I thank you for sending me Knox's joint resolution...Knox's legal positions have been quite unstable and unsound since he got into this treaty discussion. I don't regard anything he says of any particular moment now, from a legal and judicial standpoint. The theory that you can make peace by repealing a declaration of war is about as absurd as anything I know. The declaration of war leads to war, and that produces a status. The only way of ending that status is by agreement between the parties carrying on the war. Of course you can have an agreement reached in several ways. I believe you can reach an agreement by joint resolutions passed by each side declaring peace conditional upon the other side's passing the same resolutions, just as we intended to make our receiprocity (sic) agreement with Canada. And then you can have peace by silent acquiescence of both parties in a state of inaction so long continued as to raise the presumption of agreement. More than this, there is no distinction. The condition of peace or war has certain legal consequences in our own country and affects the powers of the Executive and Legislative branches of the Government to do certain kinds of things. I presume Congress by such an action as that of repealing a declaration of war and declaring peace could end the local and domestic status of war so as to prevent the exercise of war powers. Indeed where there has been actual acquiescence in a condition of peace, it helps to confirm that by either side recognizing that such a condition has acutally come about. But his argument that we have made a treaty with Germany which accomplishes certain things and does not bind us to other things through the agreement of the Allies, seems to me to be ridiculous." Taft finished by musing about the upcoming Republican National Convention, "If I were betting it all, I woud be willing to put my money on Lowden, than on anybody, but it is all uncertian, of course." Warren G. Harding went into the 1920 Republican Convention as a fading candidate, with General Leonard Wood and Illinois Governor Frank Lowden as the favorites to clinch the nomination. After a late rebound, and some back room deals, Harding secured the nomination alongside Calvin Coolidge, going on to win the election against Democratic Governor of Ohio Jame M. Cox.