Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-02-17
The Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
623 Riggs Building.
RY THEODORE TIELEE

BY THEODORE TELLER
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14.-Wash-
ineton observers looked beneath the
surface of the Wilson-Lansing cor
respondence today and irresistlbly
came to the conclusion that the sto-
nv of the disagreement between the
two men is but partially, revealed
in the letters made public last night.
Keen political prophets rather eN-
pected something to happen when
it was learned earlier this week that
the president had directed members
of the cabinet to hold no more cab
met meetings without his presence
and authority. 1t was not generally
Lslieved, however, that the caplnet
lid would blow off" so quickly.
There was a feeling that the presl-
dent was getting back into fighting
trim, that he intended to sway ad-
ministration affairs as heretofore
and that subordinates would no
longer shape or attempt to shape its
policies.
Had the Lansing resignation come
six months ago, there would have
been little of the surprise it brought
here today. Then it was expected,
and if one will go back little ways,
some of the ends of the story. that
! broke so swiftly upon Washington
may be joined together.
Although Secretary Lansing'H in
itiative in calling meetings of the
cabinet during the presidents illness
is given in the correspondence as
the surface cause of the decision
of the two men to sever their Of
fetal relations. Washington COM
mentators inevitably recall the first
rumors of impending GOODNESS be-
tween the president and the premier
of his cabinet.
BulIitt's Testimony
This was at the time that William
G. Bullitt at one time attached to
the American peace commission in
Paris. went before the senate COM
mittee on foreign relations last fall
and gave startling testimony as to
the alleged derogatory utterances of
Secretary Lansing toward the League
Of Nations covenant and the. presi-
dents accomplishments at Paris.
Mr.. Bullitt said that Secretary
Lansing had told him certain I'M
complimentary things about the
methods used at the peace confer
ence and the dangers of the peace
treaty with it's League of Nations
covenant. The secretary of state
never denied or affirmed the truth
of Mr.. Bullitt's testimony. Inferen-
TALLY. he finally gave the impress
sion that the testimony was unwor-
thy of IAN answer and sought to
brush it aside, but never did the sec
of CT 10
knowledge is concerned, charge Mr..
Eullitt. with untruthfulness. in the
English parliament Premier Lloyd
George took occasion to deny some
Of the things Mr.. Bullitt attributed
to him, but the American secretary
Of state did not follow suit.
At the time of Mr.. Bullitt's sem
sational testimony before the senate
committee Secretary Lansing was on
a fishing trip in the New York woods
For some time newspapers and press
associations made constant efforts to
get in touch with Mr.. Lansing in his
Adirondacks retreat and to obtain
from him some denial or affirmation
of the Bullitt statements. The sec
rotary of state was at first unwil-
ling to comment without the official
transcript Of the testimony. Sub
sequently and upon his return to
Washington he rather sidestepped the
issue and gradually the subject was
dropped.
- Lansing's Testimony
AS correlated matter, it is re-
called that the statement Mr.. Lam
sing himself made before the SEN
ate committee was one unsatisfactory
to that committee and indicated that
the secretary of state was somewhat
out of TOUCH with things in Paris.
The secretary answered various
questions by saying that "the presi-
Gent handled that" or you will have
to ask the president about that, I
don't know" and other replies car
rying plainly the inference that Mr..
Lansing had not been fully in the
confidence of his chief at the Paris
conference,
Mr.. Bullitt's testimony in sub