Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-02-14
Text Of Wilson-Lansins Correspondence

IOVn A0AOAA6 Nv
you have apparently tried to fore
stall my judgment by formulating
action and merely asking my ap-
prevail when it was impossible for
me to form an independent judy
ment, because / had not had an op-
portunity to examine the circum-
stances with any degree of indie
pendence.
81 therefore feel that u must
frankly take advantage Of your
kind suggestion that il l should
prefer to have another to conduct
our foreign affairs you are ready to
relieve me of any embarrassment
by placing your resignation in my
hands, for I must say that it would
relieve me Of embarrassment, Mr..
Secretary. the embarrassment of
feeling your reluctance and diverg-
ence Of judgment, if you would
| give your present Office up and af-
ford me an opportunity to Sc
| ASSS gOAS oAC VAoCC WOulu
more willingly go along with mine.
Il need not tell you with what
reluctance take advantage of your
suggestion, or that I do so with the
kindliest feeling. In matters of
transcendent importance like this
the only wise course is a course
Of perfect candor, where personal
feeling is as much as possible left
out of the reckoning.
| Very sincerely yours,
"tSigned) WOODROW WILSON.
Hon. ROBERT LANSING.
Secretary of State"
Glad to Resign.
Mr.. Lansing's reply follows:
"The Secretary of State,
Washington, Feb. u, 1920.
| My Dear Mr.. President: l wish
to thank you sincerely for your
candid letter of the 18th in which
you state that my resignation would
be acceptable to you, since 1t re-
lieves me Of the responsibility for
action which l have been contem-
plating and which 7 can now take
without hesitation, as It meets your
wishes.
Il have the honor, therefore, to
tender you my resignation as sec
rotary of state. the same to take
effect at your convenience
in thus severing our official as
ISOLATION l feel, MIR. President, that
l should make the following state
ment which prepared recently
and which will show you that I have
not been unmindful that the con-
tinuance of our present relations
was impossible ana that realize
that it was clearly my duty to bring
them to an end at the earliest NO.
ment compatible win the public
interest.
"Eyer since January, 1919, | have
been conscious of the fact that you
NO longer were disposed to wol'oue
my advice in matters pertaining to
the negotiations in Paris, TO our
foreign s-T5 ice or to international
affairs in general. Folding these
views, I would, if l:al consuli, I'd
my personal inclination alone, hayo
resigned as secretary of state and
as a commissioner to negotiate
peace.
Il felt, however, that such stel
might have been misinterpreted
both at home and broa1, and thai
il was Try duty to causa yen no EN-.
ba-rassmeM in carrying forward
the great task in Wn:cn you were
then engaged. Possibly l ,rred in
fhi$. LUt if I did i. was with til.
best Of n olives.
When l returned to Washington
in the latter part of July, 1919, MI
personal wish to resign had MOI
changed, but again l felt that 10y
atty to you and my duty to the ad
ministration compelled me to defer
action, as my resignation nigh
have been miscontrued into hos
tility to the ratification of the treat,
of peace or at least into disap
! prevail of your views as to the
form Of ratification
Il, therefore, remained silent
, avoiding any comment on the fire.
quent reports that we were not il
: full agreement. Subsequently you
. serious Illness, during which l nav
never seen you, imposed upon m
: the duty-at least I construed
to be my duty-to remain in charg
of the department of state unit
your health permitted you 20 as
sumo again full direction of for
eign affairs.
Believing that that time had ar
rived, l had prepared my resigna
ton, when my only doubt as to tn
propriety of placing it in YOU
! hands was removed by your bite
indicating that it would be entirel
acceptable to you
. Il think, Mr.. President, in &C
cordance with the frankness whicl
has marked this correspondent