The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-02-14
But He Had Hesitated to
Do So For Fear of Bring
ing Embarrassment On
the President During the
Discussion of the Treaty
of Peace - There Are
Hints of Other Differ
ences in the Cabinet at
the Present Time.

Washington, D. c., Feb. l4 (By tn
Associated Press -. Rebuked by Presl
dent Wilson for calling cabinet meet
ings during his illness, Secretary Ian
sing has resigned.
The president has accepted the resig
nation with appreciation and Mr.
Lansing becomes the second secretar,
of state to leave the administration
over a disagreement with his chief.
Although the correspondence between
Mr.. Lansing and the president makes
the calling of the cabinet meetings tn,
incident which leads directly to th'
secretary's resignation, persons "on thc
inside" of the administration who know
what has been going on, say that wa;
only an incident and that the real rea
sons for the break 90 back over pc
riod of many months and come from
fundamental differences Of opinion in
policy.
The disagreement between the pres.
ident and the head of the state depart
ment even antedate the entry of the
United States into the war. The rela.
tions between the two men almost
reached the breaking point early in
1917 when Mr.. Lansing issued his cele-
hrated statement, saying the United
States was daily being drawn nearer
and nearer the war. By some, it is tax.
en- to forecast the entry of the United
States. The president made every eff
fort to oyertake the statement after ii
had been given out at the state de.
psrtment but il was impossible
When Mr.. Lansing was a member OF
the American delegation to Paris more
differences developed; with other mem
bers of the American mission he was
not in accord with the presidents idea
Of making the treaty -of peace and the
covenant of the league of nations one
and the same inseparable document. II
was Mr.. Lansings idea that such a
plan would delay the ratification of a
peace treaty and in this he was sup
ported by Henry White and f. NJ
House.
Many Differences While Abroad.
II may be said with a great degree
Of authority that while the president
and Mr.. Lansing were together 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 dur
ing 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 it probably
was avoided only because the president
thought il more important not to let
European statesmen see a split in the
American peace delegation. While Mr.
Lansing probably saw and conferred
with the president at Paris as much a
anv other member of the American
mission. it was a matter of remark that
he saw him very little.
However. the incident which came
nearer causing a break than any 9th
or. was the sensational testimony OF
William c. Built. one Of the experts
attached TO the American peace mis-
sion. before the Senate foreign rela
lions committee. Built, reading from
a diary. quoted Secretary Lansing a,
having told him he was out Of sym.
pathy with the league Of nations cove.
nant and as predicting that the treaty
would fail II the American people eveI
learned Of it, full import
Mr.. Lansing. obviously in a very diff
cult position. did not repudiate Built
statements. although i was momen-
tarily expected in Washington that hs
either would repudiate them or resign
his Office President Wilson was az the
time on his speaking tour in the West
To say that he was upset by Bullit's
story ard his quotations Of the secre-
sarv of state. puts IL mildly. Ofiieial.
in the presidential party Who knew The
workings u the presidents mind ex.
pected % see the secreiary's resigna-
ion asked for when tie president r.
turned tn Washing or. These sans
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