Evening star., 1920-02-14
TEXT OF CORRESPONDENCE
BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT
AND SECRETARY LANSING
feeling is as much as possible left
out of the reckoning.
Very sincerely yours.
(Signed) WOODROW WILSON.
Hon. Robert Lansing,
Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State.
Washington, February IL, 1920.


The Secretary of State,
Washington, February II, 1920.
My Dear Mr.. President:
l wish to thank you sincerely
for your candid letter of the 11th,
in which you state that my resig-
nation would be acceptable to you,
since it relieves me Of the respon-
sibility for action which I have
been contemplating and which l
can now take without hesitation
as it meets your. wishes.
l have the honor. therefore. to
tender you my resignation as Sec
retary of State. the same to take
ef1ect at your convenience.
In thus severing our official as
sociation 1 feel. Mr.. President. that
l should make the following state
ment. which l had prepared re-
Gently and which will show you
that the continuance Of our present
relations was impossible and that 1
realized that it was clearly my
duty to bring them to an end at
the earliest moment compatible
with the public interest.
Ever since January, 1919. I have
been conscious Of the fact that you
no longer were disposed to well
come my advice in matters pertain
ing to the negotiations in Paris, to
our foreign service. or to interna-
tional affairs in general. Holding
these views, l would. if 1 had con-
suited my personal inclination
alone. have resigned as Secretary
or state and as a commits ssioner to
negotiate peace. I felt, however.
that such step might have been
misinterpreted both at home and
abroad. and that it was my duty
to cause You no embarrassment in
carrying forward the great task in
which you were then engaged.
Possibly I erred in this, but il
did 1t was with the best of mo-
tives.
When returned to WASHINGTON
In the latter part of July, 1919, my
personal wish to resign had not
changed, but again I felt that 10y
atty to you and NY duty to the ad-
mlnistration compelled me to defer
action. as my resignation might
nave been misconstrued into hos
tility to the ratification Of the
treaty OF peace, or at least into dis
form Of ratifcation. therefore
remained silent. avoiding any COM
ment on the frequent reports that
we were not in full agreement,
subsequently your serious illness,
during which I have never seen
you. imposed. upon me the duty-at
least 1 construed it to be my duty
to remain in charge Of the De-
partment Of State until your health
permitted you to assume again
1ull direction of foreign affairs.
relieving that that time had ar
rived, ! had prepared my resigna-
tlon. when my only doubt as to the
proprlety OF placing it in your
nands was removed by your letter
Indicating that it would be en-
urely acceptable to you.
l think. Mr.. President, in Accord
ance with the frankness which has
marked this correspondence and
1or winch 1 am grateful to you.
mat l cannot permit to pass un-
challenged the imputation that in
calling into informal conference
the heads of the executive depart
ments 1 sought to usurp your
presidential authority. 1 had no
such intention, no such thought.
I believed then, and I believe 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 I consulted. l
further believe that the confer
ences were proper and necessary
in the circumstances and that I
"ooiu nave DSeU UeIellcL IN nv
duty II I had failed to act as / did,
I also feel. Mr.. President, that
candor compels me to say that I
cannot agree with your statement
that have tried to foresrall your
judgment in certain cases by for
mulating action and merely asking
your approval when it was inn
possible for you to form an inde-
pendent judgment because you had
not had an opportunity to>ex-
anime the circumstances with any
degree of independence I have,
it is true, when 1 thought a case
demanded immediate action. ad-
vised you what. in my opinion,
that action should be, stating at
the same time the reasons on
which my opinion was based. This
Secretary Of State, and I have fol-
lowed the practice for the past
four years and a half. I confess
that I have been surprised and
disappointed at the frequent dis
approval of my suggestions. but I
have never failed to follow your
decisions. however difficult it made
the conduct Of our foreign affairs.
I need hardly add that I leave
the Office Of Secretary of State
with only good will toward you.
Mr.. President, and with q sense of
profound relief.
Forgetting our differences and
rem embering only your many
kindnesses in the past. have the
honor to be, Mr.. President.
Sincerely yours,
(Signed) ROBERT LANSING.
The President.
The White House.
The White House.
Washington. 13 February, 1920.
Ny Dear Mr.. Secretary:
Allow me to acknowledge with
l appreciation your letter of Feb
ruary 18th. 1t now being evident,
Mr.. Secretary, that we have both
Of us felt the embarrassment of
our recent relations with each
other. feel it my duty to accept
your resignation, to take effect at
once; at the same time adding that
I hope that the future holds for
you many successes of the most
gratifying sort. My best wishes
will always follow you. and it will
be a matter Of qualification to me
always to remember our delight
full personal relations.
Sincerely yours.
(Signed) WOODROW WILSON.
Hon. Robert Lansing,
Secretary Of State.