Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1920-02-21
My Dear Mr.. President !:

My Dear Mr.. President:
1 wish to thank you sincerely for
your candid letter of tho nth, In
which you state that my resignation
would DO acceptable to you, since II
relieves me OF tho responsibility for
action which l have been contemplai
ing and which l can now take with
out hesitation as 1t meets your wish
eS..
I have tho honor, therefore, to ten
dor you my resignation as Secretary
Of State, the same to take effect al
your convenience.
In thus severing our official associ
alton I feel, Mr.. President, that
should make tho following statement
which had prepared recently and
which will show you that I have moi
boon unmindful that tho continuance
of our relations was impossible and
that I realized that it was clearly my
duty to bring them to an end at the
earliest moment compatible with the
public interest: ssaF
Ever since January. 1910. am con
scious of tho fact that you no longer
were disposed to welcome my advice
in matters pertaining to tho negotia
lions In Paris to our, foreign service
or to International Affairs in general
Holding these, Vows I" would, II !
had consulted; my personal ,linclinRl
Ion, alone, hRyo reaighed No Secretary
of State and as q coInmfA8iopSr tG
negotiate peace, ]" felt, however, that
such q stop might have been ,nisin
,terpreted both at home and abroad
and that 1t was my duty to cause you
no ~ embarrassment Ia carrying for
ward tho great task in which you wers
then, engaged. Possibly I erred In
this. but IL I did'2tt':was With the
best OF motives @T& E1fEF I'D ..
When I"returned TO Washington In
tho latter part or July, 1919 my per
soma! wish to resign had not changed
but again5I felt that loyalty to you
and MY duty to the Administration
compelled me to defer action, as my
resignation might: have. been miBcoh
Atruei into hostility to the ratificat
ion Of the treaty of peace or at least
into uIsarl1oval of your views as tt
the, form Of ratification. 1 therefore
remained s!''Tt, avoiding any com
ment on the reports that we were not
in full accord.
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 re
main in charge Of the Departmen,
Of State until your health permitted
you to assume again full direction OF
foreign affairs.
Believing that that time had ar.
rived 1 had prepared my resignation
and my only doubt as to the proprie
ty Of placing it in your hands was
removed by your letter indicating
that it would be entirely acceptable
to you.
I think, Mr.. President, after the
frankness that has marked this cor
rcspondence and for which am crate
full to you, that I cannot permit to
pass unchallenged the imputation
that in calling into informal confer
ence the heads OF the executive dc
partments l sought to usurp your Pres
idential authority. I had no such IN
tention, no such thought. believed
then and believe now that the con
ferences which were held were fol
tho best interests of your administru
ton and OF tho republic, and that be
lief was shared by others whom
consulted. I further believe that tho
conferences were proper and ncccs
sary in the circumstances and that
II would have been dcrclict in my du
" if I had failed TO act as | did.
also feel, Mr.. President, that cal
dor compels me to say that I can
not agree with your statement thai
I have tried to forcstall your judy
ment in certain cases by formulat
ing action and merely asking your
approval when it was impossible fol
you to form an independent judg
mcnt because you had not had NJ
opportunity to examine the circumStaI
COS with any degree OF independence
I have, it is true, when l thought
case demanded immediate action, az
vised you what in my opinion, thai
action should be, stating at the same
time the reasons on which my opin
ion was based. This I conceived to be
a function Of the Secretary OF State
and l have followed the practice fol
| the past four years and a half. l cor
Tess that l have been surprised and
disappointed at the frequent disap
prevail of my suggestions, but I have
never failed to follow your decision:
however difficult 1t 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 a sense Of profound relief
Forgetting our differences and II
Wondering only your many kindnes:
es in the past, I have the honor tt
be. Mr.. President, Sincerely yours
ROBERT LANSING.
The President, the White House,
The White House,