New-York tribune., 1920-02-18

retary Lansing and his mind. As early
as January, 1919, 1t appears that he
entertained opposing views in matters
OF momentous consequence. He was
one ON OF the chosen envoys Of the United
otates IN the great matter Of the re-
organization of the world.
Mind Did Not "Go Along
Secretary Lansing, It nov appears,
revolted from the prospect. His mind,
he now confcsses, did not go along
with that Of the President, who had
assumed responsibility for this move
which set up, in but another form,
the same universal rule which we had
spent SO many thousands of lives and
so many billions Of dollars to prevent
the Kaiser from establishing. The
loyalty Of Mr.. Lansing to the President
only fully appears when it is consid-
cred that he evidently placed it above
his convictions of what was right.
'He must have realized the momeh
tous consequences of the schemes of
world control which had been thrust
upon this conference and yet he made
clear that he made any kind Of pro-
test, notwithstanding the sovereign
powers and independence Of the United
States were involved. Certainly good
case can be made out for Secretary
Lansing and for his colleagues on this
great mission of entire subserviency
to the President. although for the
time being the latter, by a peculiar
metamorpho osis, had resolved himself
into the character of a mere delegate
appointed by the President
''lt may be Secretary Lansing was
misled by the espionage act, getting
a hot t,o1I k,,
good men, that it prohibited any one
from forming or expressing any opin-
ion different from that of the Presi-
dent This, of course, was a wide
spread delusion, but nevertheless it
still persists in many quarters.
There was also constantly in his
mind the reprimand which the Presi-
dent had delivered to the American
people in October, 1918, for presuming
to discuss the question of the Ger
man armistice, when it will be re-
membered he told them to contine their
activities to raising money and to leave
the talking about the armistice to him
Later on he also had the example OF
the Senate, which was rebuked for de
string to discuss the peace treaty unit
such time as it might be permitted tt
do so by the President.
World Just Escaped Peace
CAS- an indication of what slight cir
cumstances may change the destinie
of the world there was moment whe
the Presto on the George Wash
ington in March, 1919, amid the verns
storms of the wild Atlantic, was hast
ening back to Paris. At that momen
the world was perilously near the gos
of peace. Mr.. Lansing and his Co
Leagues in Paris were busily engage
in disposng of the final agreemer
to the treaty of peace and had SCI
arated from it the league of nation
Notwithstanding the effort which ha
been made to weave into it's fabric tn
red thread of internationalism the
had found no difficulty in separatin
it from the sseaty. The ambassador
of the Allies were on the point
leaving for home and deferrng fe
more mature<considerati the form,
lation and establishment of a constit,
tion of centralized world government
''If at that moment the wireless ha
broken down, so that our peace dele
CATION and their colleagues at Par
could have completed their plan, uncor
scious Of the fact that their minds wer
not going along with that of the Pres
dent and without his knowledge, tn
world would promptly have been re
stored to peace.
Zone Of the best things that tn
President has ever said was containe
in his recent announcement that if tn
agreement which was arrived at tn
other day for the settlement of tn
Adriatic controversy was carried ou
/ he would withdraw from participatio
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