The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-02-14
LANSING AND
WILSON BREAK
BEGAN EARLY
Two Men Were in Almost
Constant Disagreement
Even Before World War
Built Incident is Recalled.
POLK MAY TAKE PLACE
(By ysAssociated Pressl


WASHINGTON, Feb. 14.-There
was no information available at the
White House as to a probable sue
cessor to Mr.. Lansing, but the appoint
ment is to be made soon. John w.
Davis, ambassador at London, and
Undersecretary Polk are being dis
cussed
Cabinet meetings will be resumed
very soon,' and as announced a few
days ago, President Wilson will pre-
side. White house officials reiterated.
today that he was making rapid
strides toward regaining his health.
Frank L. Polk, under-secretary of
state, today became secretary ad in
terim and will serve until Mr. Lans-
1ng's successor has been appointed by
the president
Immediately after the senate met,
the letters exchanged between Presi-
dent Wilson and Secretary Lansing
we're ordered printed in the Congress
| s1onal Record, on motion of Senator
Branoegee, Republican, Connecticut
Lane Also Called Meeting.
Secretary Lane declared today that
he consided himself lust as much re-
sponsible" as Secretary Lansing for
the calling of cabinet meetings during
| the presidents illness. -.
He said Mr.. Lansing called him on
the telephone and obtained his ap-
| proval of the idea before calling the
first meeting land presumably secured
the approval of other cabinet members
! also.
| There will be no more designations
from the cabinet as a result of the
Lansing incident, it was said at the
White house today.
| Although the correspondence be-
tween Mr.. Lansing and the president
makes the calling of the cabinet meet
ings the incident which leads directly
to the secretary's resignation, persons
ION the inside" of the administration
say that was only an incident and that
/ the real reasons for the break go back
over period of many months, and
come from fundamental Differences of
opinion in policy.
Disagreed Before War.
! The disagreement between the pres
i ident and the head OF the state de-
partment even antedate the entry of
! the United States into the war. The
| relations between the two men al
most reached the breaking point early
in 1917, when Mr.. Lansing issued his
celebrated statement saying that the
United States was daily being drawn
nearer and nearer the war BY some
it was taken to forecast the entry of
the United States. The president
made every effort to overtake the
statement after it had been given out
at the state department, but it was
impossible.
When Mr. Lansing went as a mem
Der of the American peace delegation
to Paris. more differences were had.
| @xh Nf
he was not in accord with the presi-
dents idea of making the treaty of
: peace and the covenant of the league
of nations one and the same INSOFAR
able document 1t was Mr.. Lansings
idea that such a plan would delay
the ratification of the peace treaty and
he was supported in this by Henry
} White and Mr.. e. M. House.
: Had Serious 0uarrels.
1t may be said with a great degree
, of authority that while the president
and Mr. Lansing were in Paris other
differences of more than minor nature
) developed, and this is confirmed by
the reference which the president
makes to it in one of his letters.
!, When President Wilson went back
to Paris last March and found that
, during his brief absence in the United
States Mr. Lansing and the others of
, the American mission had agreed. ten
| tatively, at least, to have the peace
terms and the league of nations cove
: nant separated, the situation came
, very near a breaking point, and prob
, ably was avoided because the presi-
dent thought it more important not
: to let European statesmen see split
in the American peace delegation.
While Mr. Lansing probably saw
J and conferred with the president In
: Paris as much as any other members
of tn American mission, it was a mat
ter of remark that he saw him very
little. ..
:, Built incident Last Straw.
: However, the incident which came
nearer causing break than any other
was the sensational testimony Of VIII
liam c. Built, one of the experts at
/ tached to the American peace mission,
/ before the senate foreign relations
/ committee. Built, as will be recalled,
, reading from dairy, quoted Secretary
Lansing as having told him he was
out of sympathy with the league OF
: nations covenant, and as predicting
, that the treaty would fail If the Amer
, lean people ever learned of its full
: import.
Mr.. Lansing, obviously III very uii-
ficult position, did not repudiate Bull
Its statement, although 1t was
momentarily expected In Washington
, that he either would repudiate them
( or resign his Office.
t President Wilson was at the time on
: his speaking tour in the west. To say
: that he was upset by Bullit's story
2 end his quotations Of the Secretary of
= State puts 1t mildly. Oficials in the
presidential party who knew the
l workings of the presidents mind ex.
lpected to see the Secretary's resigna.
ton asked for when the President re-
turned to Washington. These same
officials now believe that the break.
r down which sent the president home
} a very sick man was the only thing
: which prevented it.
= Never Saw President.
J Mr.. Lansing, however, never saw the