Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-02-10
Treaty "L0bby" Charged to Foreign
Diplomats; ViSc0unt Grey'S Letter.
On Peace Treaty Creates Sensation
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Copyright, 1920, for The Atlanta
Journal

Journal.)
WASHINGTON, D. C.-President
Wilson resents British interference
in the domestic affairs Of the United
States and while in the interest of
good relations and the passage of
the treaty no formal incident has
as yet been ma of Lord Grey's let
ter, there is no question of :ae
displeasure Of the incumbent - enc
White House.
1t has been pointed out that while
the letter of Lord Grey Lad pleased
the Republican leaders. it had Of
Tended the true friends of President
Wilson and strengthened the band
Of "irreconcilables" in the senate who
were thankful for the phrase "a
plunge into the unknown" contribu-
ted by the distinguished British en-
voy as comment on the League of
Nations. But it was not evident un-
til two days more passed that the
suspicion of White House resentment
against the Grey letter was well
founded.
The confirmation came in one of
these subtle ways, which President
Wilson has of expressing his
thoughts by implication. The presi,
dents secretary permitted the cor
respondents to quote his answer to
a question they had asked him con-
corning a report that the president
had been consulted by Lord Grey
before publishing his famous letter
in the London Times commenting on
the conflict between the executive
and legislative branches of our gov,
ernment. The answer was an en-
phatic statement that the president
had not been consulted.
Ways to Reach President
I To the criticism that President
Wilson was inaccessible and could
not be seen by LORD Grey, it was
moreover officially stated that mat
ters Of this kind could be put in
writing and that it was customary
for diplomats to communicate by
written rather than by oral CORE
! &pondence. in fact bass, iors or
! ministers rarely see the president
and do most Of their business by in
formal note or memorandum. There
were plenty Of ways by which Lord
Grey might have reached the presi-
| dent, and moreover the secretary of
| state was ready at all times to talk
with the British envoy and did, in
! fact, receive MIN and communicate
| in writing to President Wilson ex-
actly what Lord Grey said on each
| occasion.
But the point of the White House
! announcement seems to be that d
| British ambassador to the United
| States, who still holds that rank so
| far as the United States is officially
| advised, but who is absent from his
post, has expressed. himself quite
| fully on American domestic affairs
at moment Of Intense feeling be-
| tween rival political branches Of the
| American government.
Lord Grey is at home and prob
ably has not intended to return to the
| United States anyway, so there is
no question that he felt himself
about to be relieved of official duties
and free to speak.
| The political circumstances in con-
nection with the Lord Grey incident
are not altogether dissimilar to
the case Of Lord Sackville, re-
| ferred to in another column. The
Irish in America have been &C.
cusing the president Of fostering
a British-Wilson League of Nations
en- the United States. They ha- :
been appealing to Senator Lodge to
nullify article x because they alleged
it might some day interfere with a
revolutionary movement by ireland
against Great Britain.
To the extent that Lord Grey's
letter strengthened the hand Of the
Republicans and made them besti1
themselves when an American presi.
dent couldn't move the treaty out
Of it's deadlock, there were Demo.
Gratis of Irish proclivities getting
ready to taunt the Republicans with
the cry that Lord Grey's leadership
seemed more preferable to then,
than that of President Wilson.
Incident Not Ended
We have not heard the end Of the
Lord Grey incident. Great Britain
will know both through the press
and probably through the American
ambassador in London just how
the United States government feels
about the ur4imely 'nent Of Lore
Grey. 1t would not be surprising t.
find Prime Minister Lloyd George ex
planning informally that Lord Grey
| wrote as a private citizen and no.
as an official Of the British govern.
ment and to ask that the United
States to take that into considera
ton. which would be a polite AM
| diplOmat ic NAV Of tr.t-i11 q "a e.nr.A -.