The New York herald., 1921-03-25
THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS:


PERSONAL NARRATIVE. BY
Robert Lansing. Boston, 1921;
Houghtor Miffiin Co.
No intelligent American who wishes
to know the exact steps by which our
own country and the world We're led
into the morass in which they are still
fioundering will fail TO read this book
with anxious care. 1t is the work OF
high minded gentleman, deeply con-
scious Of his duty TO his country and
properly concerned that his own Off
cial service be not misunderstood OF
misinterpreted. The book might never
have been written were it not for the
manner or rather the mannerlessness
of Mr., Lansing's dismissal from the
high office OF Secretary of State on
February H. 1920. One may easily
sympathize with Mr.. Lansing's feel
ing that. in view OF the letter then
addressed 10 him by President Wilson,
ne should at a convenient time lay
before his fellow countrymen the rec
ord of his work as one OF their official
representatives in the making OF the
Treaty Of Versailles.
Mr.. Lansing's self-imposed task was
plainly a difficult one, and he has dis
charged 1t with good taste, with dis
cretion and with generous sympathy
for President Wilson and the views
which the President so tenaciously
held and so imperiously pressed.
fe
is. from any viewpoint, extraordinary.
We see five commissioners designated
TO represent the United States at the
Peace Conference, with the President
himself at their head. Despite the
fact that one of the Presidents asso-
ciates was his own Secretary of
State, charged by law with high and
responsible duties in regard to the
foreign relations and foreign policies
of the Government; one former dip
lomatic representative Of the United
States who had seen many years of
service abroad and who had unusual
personal knowledge Of European
statesmen and diplomatists of this
generation: and one a Major General
of the army of the United States who
had gained an enviable reputation for
good judgment and administrative
skill, no one of these appears to have
been in anywise consulted by the
| President as 10 the positions to be
taken or the policies to be urged at
the Peace Conference. 1t is uncertain
from a reading of Mr.. Lansing's book
how far the fifth member of the Amer
lean delegation, Colonel House, was
in the complete confidence Of the
President. What is quite clear is that
the American representatives at no
time had full and free discussion and
consultation as to the attitude to be
taken by them; that they were never
able to act as an intelligent unit and
with complete understanding of what
was proposed; and that in fact they
were merely more or less ornamental
appendages to the President himself
one is left in doubt whether more to
wonder at this Presidential isolation
and self-confidence or to be alarmed
at it's obviously unhappy results.
From the statements issued from time
to time at Paris and from the long de-
bates and discussions which followed in
the United States Senate in the press
and on the platform, the American
people have gained a fairly accurate
knowledge Of what went on at the Peace
Conference, and how the unfortunate
results there arrived at were reached.
Not until MIR. Lansing has told his
story. however, have we clearly under
stood how serious, how heavy and
how personal was the responsibility
that rests upon President Wilson him
self. or how readily the negotiations
might have been conducted to far
wiser conclusions had other American
counsels prevailed or had they even
been frankly and fairly considered.
The story, as Mr.. Lansing tells ii,
is of absorbing interest. He makes
II entirely clear that, after much vacil-
lation and no little change Of view,
President Wilson had early fixed upon
the principle underlying Article X.
Of the Covenant Of the League Of
Nations as the basis on which 10 build
system Of international cooperation
with a view to preventing future in
ternational wars. In his mind 1t was
truly the heart of the covenant. II
appears that in May, 1915, President
Wilson, in preparing an address TO be
delivered at the first annual meeting
OF the League 70 Enforce Peace in
Washington, included in 1t advocacy
OF physical force as a means Of pre-
venting future wars. Before deliver
ing the address the President went
over II and removed all references to
this doctrine. Eight months later,
however. in January, 1917, President
Wilson came to the view that the