The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-02-14
Immediate Effect Offered.

Immediate Effect Offered.
II have the honor, therefore, to
tender to you my resignation as Secre- |
tary Of State. the same to take effect
at your convenience.
In thus severing our official rela-
tons. ! feel Mr.. President. that I
should make the following statement
which l prepared recently and which
, Will show you that l have not been
unmindful that the continuance of
our present relations was impossible,
, and that~I realized that it clearly was
my duty to bring them to an end at
the earliest possible moment compat-
1ble with the public interest.
Ever since January, 1919, I have
been conscious of the fact that you no
! longer were disposed to welcome my
advice in matters pertaining to the ne
| gotiations in Paris. to our foreign SER
vice, nor to international affairs in
| general.
Holding these views, if had con-
suited my personal inclination alone,
l would have resigned as Secretary
of State and as a Commissioner to
negotiate peace; I felt, however, that
such step might have been misinter-
preted, both at home and abroad, and
that it was my duty to cause no en-
barrassment to you in carrying for
| ward the great task in which you then
were engaged.
Possibly l erred in this, but If l did,
1t was with the best of motives.
| Loyalty to Chief Voiced.
| when l returned to Washington in
the latter part of July, 1919, my per-
| IN hoI no
but again felt that my loyalty to you
| and my duty to the administration
compelled me to defer action, as my
resignation might have been miscon-
strued into hostility to the ratification
of the treaty of peace, or at least into
disapproval of your views as to the
form of ratification.
| Il therefore remained silent, avoid
ing any comment on the frequent re-
ports that we were not in full agree
ment. Subsequently your serious i'll
ness, during which I never have seen
you, imposed upon me the duty
at least l construed it my duty-to
remain in charge of the Department
of State until your health permitted
you to again assume full direction of
foreign affairs.
Believing that the time had arriv-
ed, l had prepared my resignation,
when my only doubt as to the pro-
priety of placing it in your hands was
removed by your letter indicating that
it would be entirely acceptable to you.
Il think, Mr.. President, in accord
ance with the frankness which has
marked this correspondence, and for
which l am grateful to you, that I can
not permit to pass unchallenged the
iInputation that in calling into infor-
NAL conference the heads of the exec
utive departments, l sought to usurp
your presidential authority.
Belief Shared by Others"
81 had no such intention, no such
thought. l believed then, and l be-
lieve now, that the conferences which
were held were for the best interests
of your administration and of the re-
public, and that belief was shared by
others whom l consulted.
II further believe that the confer
ences were proper and necessary in
the circumstances, and that l would
have been derelict in my duty if I
had failed to act as | did.
II also feel, Mr.. President. that can
dar compels me to say that l cannot
agree with your statement that l have
tried to forestall your judgment in
and merely asking your approval when
it was impossible for you to form any
independent judgment because you
had not had an opportunity to examine
the circumstances with any degree of
independence. 1t is true that when I
thought a case demanded immediate
action / have advised you what, in my
opinion, that action should be, stating
at the same time the reasons on which
my opinion was based.
This I conceived TO be a function
of the secretary Of state, and l have
followed the practice for the past four
years and half.
~ Have Been Surprised"
II confess that l have been sur
prised and disappointed at the fire.
quent disa pprova! of my suggestions,
but I never have failed to follow your
decisions, however difficult it made
the conduct of our foreign affairs.
Il hardly need add that I leave the
office of secretary of state with only
good will toward you, Mr.. President,
and with a sense of profound relief.
Forgetting our differences and re-
membering only your numerous kind
nesses in the pa st, have the honor to
be, Mr.. President. sincerely yours,
ROBERT LANSING"
The presidents answer follows:
1.-The White House,
Washington, Feb. 10, 1920.
my dear Secretary: Allow me to
acknowledge with appreciation your
letter of February Il. 1t now being
evident, Mr.. Secretary, that both of
us have felt the embarrassment OF
our recent relations with each other,
feel it to be my duty to accept your
resignation, to take effect imme.