The sun., 1919-01-18
New York Socialist Writer Put
Lansing in Embarrassing
Position in Paris.
STARTED A CONTROVERSY
Forced American Delegates to
Break Off Condolences With
Correspondents.
ny RAYMOND G.. CARROLL.
Special Cable Despatch TO THE suS and the
Public Ledger.

Public Ledger.
Copyright. 1859; all rights reserved.
PARIS, Jan. l7.--Now that the first
bubbles OF the fourth estates wrath
over the gag rule OF the Prem!ers and
commits sioners Of the Ave great Powers
that confines all information given out
o. the peace conference proceedings to a
daily joint official bulletin has effer-
vesced we' can dlspassionately review
the events Immediately prior to the de-
cision
Granted that certain factors In the
conference all along had been DESTROYS OF
attaining n rule for secrecy. we shall
have to admit that the opportunity for
the accomplishment Of that purpose was
in a measure actually furnished from the
American press section.
Since the Presidents arrival In
France there have been regular morn
Ing conferences upon current peace top
les between Messrs. House. Lansing.
Bliss and White and such American
correspondents az wished to attend. 1t
was made clear TO the writer's that con-
tact was established solely for their
guidance and Information and that no
quotations were 10 be used.
From twenty to thirty writers daily
awaited themselves of this chance 10 meet
our representatives face to face. often
following commissioners to their cham
bers for more detailed information. Only
unfortunately the fact was that writers
least qualified to interrogate often asked
nearly all the questions.
Some Real News Leaks Out.
Still the commissioners good humor-
eddy parted OF their morning hecklers
Ms II was the Presidents wish FOR them
to be at least seen II not always heard
Now and then they came across with a
tidblt OF real news, for instance with re-
spect TO our intention not to send troops
to Poland
Here enters the regrettsble incident
which gave the ambrasure group In con-
ference across the river Its chance to
clamp on the mu1zle. Tuesday morning
In the columns OF LHumanite. a daily
Socialist newspaper. there appeard al
most verbatim an account of what Sec
rotary Lansing mad said previously. SUP
posedly exclusively, to American jour
nalsts. Quotation marks were used.
and. In substance. II outlined our Polish
policy as emphatically against interven-
ton there with American soldiers.
! took the matter up with several
commissioners. calling attention to the
fact that lie Temps. which is more or
less an official organ OF the French
Government. had stated exactly the con-
trary as the position OF the Allies and
the disposition OF American soldiers.
1t was clear that Secretary Lansing
had been put in an exceed nsly emhnr-
raising position through what looked like
n breach Of faith from some unknown
American correspondent. The incident
was passed over
Questioned Lansing's veracity.
But in Wednesdays L'Hu,rnni.e
blcomed a second article which boldly
balanced Lansing and LIE Temps upon
the scales OF veracity
This outcome was recognized officially
by the American commissioners and
Gen. Bliss summoned committee from
among the correspondents and directed
that they Immediately clean their Aug
can stables, else no further contact with
correspondents en- masse would be per-
mitted
Two score American writer's gathered
in their press room and looked irqu!r-
ingly into each others faces When the
meeting opened one writer announced
that the offender had made a clean
breast Of II and had asked him to say
that he was ready and willing to go
before n committee representing the
correspondents and make n statement In
extenuation Of his act.
Later he did so, pleading that ne was
not aware of the extreme confidential
relations that had been established be-
tween the commission and the CORE
apondents. and that the editor OF
LHumdntte was an old and valued
friend to whom he had given Secretary
Lansing's exact words. The name OF
this writer is Louis Gannette, a Socialist
and Harvard man. He carries creden-
t!as from the Surrey of New York city.
Almost the first business OF Wednes-
days peace conference was to pass the
sag rule