Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-02-14
Expected to Resign
The Secretary of State,


My Dear Mr.. President wish to
thank you sincerely for your candid let
ter of the 18th in which you state that
my resignation would be acceptable to
you, since 1t relieves me of the respon-
sibility for action which [ have been con-
templating and which I can now take
without hesitation, as 1t meets your
wishes.
have the honor, therefore, to tender
you my resignation as secretary of state
the same to take effect at your con-
venience.
In thus severing our official associa-
ton, feel, Mr.. President, that l should
make the following statement, which
had prepared recently and which will
show you that 1 have not been unmind-
full that the continuance of our present
relations was impossible and that l re-
allied that 1t was clearly my duty to
bring them to an end at the earliest
moment compatible with the public in
terest
Ever since January, 1919. I have been
conscious of the fact that you no longer
were disposed to welcome my advice In
matters pertaining to the negotiations in
Paris, to our foreign service, or to In
ternationaI affairs in general. Holding
this view, I would, if 1 had consulted
my personal inclination alone, have re-
signed as secretary of state and as
commissioner to negotiate peace. l felt,
however, that such a step might have
been misinterpreted, both at home and
abroad, and that is was my duty to cause
you no embarrassment in carrying for
ward the great task in which you then
were engaged. Possibly 1 erred in this,
but if 1 did it was with the best mo
tives.
When I returned to Washington in the
! latter part of July, 1919, my personal
wish to resign had not changed, but
again felt that loyalty to you and my
duty to the administration compelled me
to defer action, as my resignation might
have been misconstrued into hostility to
the ratification of the treaty Of peace or
at least into disapproval of your views
as to the form Of ratification. l, there
fore, remained silent, avoiding any com
ment on the frequent reports that we
were not in full agreement. Subsequently.
your serious Illness, during which l have
never seen you, imposed upon me the
duty-at least I construed It to be my
duty-to remain in charge of the depart
ment of state until your health permitted
you to assume again full direction Of
foreign affairs.
Relieving that that time had arrived I
had prepared my resignation, when my
only doubt as to the propriety Of placing
It in your hands was removed by your
letter indicating that It would be en-
tirely acceptable to you.
I think, Mr.. President, in accordance
with the frankness which has marked
this correspondence, and for which I am
grateful to you that can not permit
TO pass uncballenged the imputation that
in calling into informal conference the
heads Of the executive departments I
sought to usurp your presidential au-
thority. had not such intention, no
such thought. 7 believed then and be-
lieve now that the conferences which were
held were for the best interests Of your
administration and OF the public that
the conferences were proper and neces-
sary in the circumstances, and that 7
would have been derelict in my duty had
| failed to act as | did.
also feel, Mr. President, that candor
compels me to say that I can not agree
with your statement that have tried to
forestall your Judgment in certain cases
by formulating action and merely ask
ing your approval when it was impos-
sible for you to form an independent
Judgment because you had not had an
opportunity to examine the circum-
stances with any degree of independence.