The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1919-04-11
LANSING SAVED
kA|SER'S NECK
Took Position That Kaiser
Could Not Have Made
War Without
CONSENT OF HIS PEOPLE

(By RlchardTV. Oulahan in New
York Times)
Paris, April 1.-THE discussion
in the Council of Four wednesday
has made clear that extKaiser Will
helm is not to suffer capital punish
ment for high crimes and misde-
meanors, but he will probably new
er know how narrowly he escaped
the imposition of the supreme pen
atty. He may thank his stars and
to an equal degree Robert Lansing,
Secretary of State of the United
States, for the mercy that is to be
shown him.
The question of lesser punish
ment is still undetermined. The
Council of Four has under consider
alton report from the Commission
on Responsibilities strongly recon-
mending his trial by military trfbu-
nal. To this report Mr.. Lansing,
who is president of the commission,
and the japanese representative
have maGpe reservations-in other
words, have disagreed with the con-
clusions of the overwhelming ma
ority of the other belligerent ma
-tions, big and little.
President Wilson, with Clemen-
ceau, Lloyd George, and Orlando,
are giving careful study to the re-
port and Secretary Lansing's coun-
terarrangement.s The most that
may be said is that the possibility
of action likely to result in the ex-
Kaiser's execution has been elimi-
mated.
From the outset of the discus
sions in the Commission on Re-
sponsibilities there was a distinct
effort on the part of the French,
British, and other nations to prove
that the Kaiser deserved death. 1t
it said that many precedents were
cited to show that this punishment
would be consistent with the treat
ment of other tyrannical and ire
sponsibIe monarchs. But refer
ences to the execution of Mary
Queen of Scots, Chas. l., Louis XVI.
and Marie Antoinette did not stand
up under the application of latter
day conceptions of justice.
It was finally agreed unanimous
-ly that on legal grounds Wilhelm
could not be held responsible for
bringing on the war, and on that
point all the members of the COM
mission are united in their sugges-
tions to the council. But the French
British, Italians, and smaller ma
ticnalities represented in the COM
raission's personnel believe that po-
litical exigencies demand that he be
dealt with severely. It is gathered
that they are trying to influence the
council to regard him in the light
of another Napoleon, whoce com
plete freedom of action would be a
menace to the world.
Secretary Lansing has submitted
a separate memorandum in which
Wilhelm's culpabilitE is considered
from legal point of view. While
the overwhelming majority of the
commission contends that he is re-
sponsible largely for the acts in vi
olation of the rules of war commit
ted by his hand and naval forces.
Mr.. Lansing is understood to taks
the ground that what was done in
his name was sustained by his own
people, and that he cannot be held
legally culpable for that reason.
At the same time there is no effort
on Mr.. Lansing's part, it is stated,
to prove that Wilhelm and his prin-
cipal advisers are entitled to be let
of without punishment. On this
particular point. however, there is
no definite Information, since the
members of the commission have
bound themselves to secrecy.