Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-16


able to furnish the answer himself.
! EFFECT ON TREATY.
! What effect, If any, the Lansing incl
| dent will have on the controversy over the
| peace treaty IS purely conjectural The
/ view obtains in some Senatorial circles
| that it will influence Democratic Senators
who have hitherto stood squarely with the
! President TO make concessions that will
result in the speedlest disposition Of
the vexations problem. This view is not
at all general and il is quite probable that
the lines of battle will be continued as at
present.
While the Lansing incident is likely
To figure IN vagrant discussions in both
Houses of Congress IL is not probable that
il will result in the promotion of any legis-
latlon designed 10 restrict the President
personal privilege IN choosing his Cabinet
advisers and IN dismissing them.
1t has been no secret for more than
year that Mr. Losing had forfeited
the confidence OF the President under
circumstances not unlike those that
caused the loss of prestige by Col. +. NJ.
HouSt. The basic reasons lie in the CON
duct of the President former confidential
adviser and the Secretary OF State at
Paris during the Peace Conference.
Persons who have closely observed
the trend of developments at the French
capital were cognlzant that the lack Of
sympathy ON the part of Col. House and
Mr.. Lansing were resulting in serious en-
barraSsment TO the President IL will be
recalled that Mr.. Lansing, rescnting the
activities of Col House. had Indicated his
purpose TO resign and that he was only
dissuadcd from doing SO by the President
himself
AT HE FIRST MEETING.
The Secretary of State. presumably
seeking for light as to the Prcsidcnt's
Grayson. the White House physician.
were substantially that 'the President
was not in physical condition 10 attend
to any natterS of business
During this meeting Mr. Lansing
according TO the testimony Ot two of !
the participants discussed in q purely /
speculative sense the adVisabllitv or /
necessity for summoning tho Vice presi- |
dent and asking him to take control of the |
conduct Of the Government Mr. Mar
shall did IN fact attend ono of the Cabinet
conferences IN purely Informal manner
The best Informed men whose tcsti-
nonv is available are Of the opinion |
hat Mr.. lansing's manner might have
lcCn msinterprctcd and that he was
correctly or otherwise las
ayorlng the assumption Of Presidential
iutles by the Wee President.
OF s corrohorativc character is The
gosSip current here among the diplo-
matte representatives of other powers
hat Mr.. Lansing had Informed NJ
lIsscrand the French Ambassador OF
he probability Of such move II the
resident continued 20 be incapacltatcd
rom performing the functions of hIs
'ffice
NJ. JusScrand ia. SINCE privatcl,
cnied that MIR Lansing made such
statement to him, AZ any rate, the
ttitudc % the Secretary of State and
he discussion of the matter Of the
robablc necessities consequent on the
residents illness may. and probably
"a, exercise some influence on The
resident IN demanding his resignation
THE GREY LETTER AGAIN
Among other Instances that are held
) have contributed Is one that j. hc-
eyed to have aroused the Presidents
sentiment more than anv attempt at
legged usurpation Of his powers the
ecretarv Of State might have init
ed This has 10 do with the extra
'dlnary declaration made by Niscount
rev, the British Ambassador. in
cent statement prepared by him for
le London Times.
Tho British diplomat who spent four
five months at the American capital.
apt his ear pretty close 10 the ground
ad communicated the result of MS dis
'verIcs to the British public through the
-
arkabe features OF his declaration was
5 disregard for the probable effect of it
/ the Senatorial controversy over the
,ague of Nations
The conclusions Of Lord Grey were
neraily interpreted as justifying the
'sltlon of the opponents OF the treaty
ID the League Of Nations that res
vatl0n which President Wilson had
clared would Kill the treaty were based
'on national necessities Of supreme i'm
rtance TO the United States.
Lord Grey was not privileged to dis
s. matters affecting both his Gov
lment and the United States with
2 President. He conferred frequently
th Mr.. Lansing. Also with the leaders
the opposition IN the Senate
SENATOR'S ARB INVOLVED.
1t Is difficult. of course, % trace the
piratlon OF Lord Grey conclusions To-
:. Lansing. The nearest that the officials
10 seek to justify the President removal
him can come to such charge is that
, leading members of the Senate on
sing the treaty thought they had good
ison to believe that Mr Lansing lacked
npathy with Its purposes as viewed by
President, and that has alleged apos-
y was made known to Niscount Grey
ough the subtle processes that line
Senate and diplomacy
That President Wilson was very much
ensed at Lord Grey's action there can
not the slightest doubt Coupled with
Lanslngs attitude regarding other
ises Of the controversy over the League
Nations 1t is not improbable that the
sIdent sensed a close and svInpathetjc
mony between the views of the British
lomat and his Secretary Of State
here are the best Of reasons for stating
I the President did sense such a syrn-
by and that it exercised direct IN
nee on his mind in asking his Secre-
I OF state to retire There Is the further
tive information that Lord Grt.v's q