The New York herald., 1921-03-25
A Review by Nicholas Murray Butler.


legal justice. A system Of interna-
tional cooperation may be built upon
either of these two principles. II
built upon the former II Will lead
straight TO a supergovernment and
eventually to what mas been described
as internationalism Gcithout nations.
IL built upon the latter IL will pre-
serve national individuality, national
idealism and national pride and will
lead 10 the only form of International
ism which a free people Will accept,
namely internationalism l0ith nations.
The record OF Mr.. Lansing's own
proposals and recommendations is in
high degree creditable to his indepen-
dence, TO his Americanism and to his
knowledge of what had been accom-
plished during the past generation,
largely under American leadership, In
paving the way for an international
association to prevent international
war or greatly to diminish its likeli-
hood. AS early as May 25, 1916-that
Is, two and a half years before the
end Of the war-Mr. Lansing put on
record, in a letter addressed to the
President, statement OF his convic-
ton that If any representative inter-
national body were clothed with au-
thority to require of the nations to
employ their armies and navies to
coerce one Of their number, acceptance
of such policy would be rejected both
by American public opinion and by the
Senate as in conflict both with our
sovereignty and out interests. (P. 39.)
90 =, lnf Inn
Wilson received early warning of the
rocks that lay in the path which he
persisted in treading.
Extraordinary as the fact seems,
President Wilson never consulted his
Secretary OF state in any way what
soever relative To his plan for a
League Of Nations previous to the de-
parture of the American commission
for Paris on December 4. 1918. While
at Paris the President neither asked
Secretary Lansings advice as to any
provision of the covenant nor did he
discuss any phase of this vitally i'm
portant matter with him personally.
Naturally Mr. Lansing drew the in
ference that his counsel was unwel-
come to the President. Nevertheless.
in the discharge of his duty he had
on December %, 1918, addressed a
careful memorandum TO the President
marked "secret and urgent" Offering
definite suggestions as to how the pro-
posed League OF Nations might be
constituted so as to avoid the consti-
tutional and practical objections
which he felt sure would arise If the
plan that the President had In mind
was carried through. This memoran-
dunn opp. $3.50 is of extreme impor-
tance and should be read with great
care, since it makes clear what the
President rejected as well as what he
accepted in its stead. One can hardly
believe that such an important memo
randum from his Secretary of State
received neither reply nor even ac-
acknowledgement from the President.
Yet Mr.. Lansing states that such was
the case. Up. 59.) Eight days later.
and after the President had left for
Italy without discussing with his fell
low commissioners any part Of his
plans as to the policies to be urged
upon the Peace Conference, Secretary
Lansing made the following memo
randum in his notes:
at is evident that the President is
determined to incorporate in the
peace treaty an elaborate scheme for
the League of Nations which will ex-
cite all sorts of opposition at home
and abroad and invite much discus
sion.
"The articles relating to the league
ought to be few and brief. They will
FTrl, 10
II we wait till they are accepted 1t
will be four or five months before
peace is signed, and fear to say how
much longer it will take to have it
ratified.
1T is perhaps foolish to prophesy,
but / will take the chance. Two
months from now we will still be hag-
Cling over the League of Nations and
an exasperated world will be curstng
Us for not having made peace. ] hope
that j am a false prophet, but ! fear
my prophecy will come true. We are
riding a hobby, and riding to fall"
(P. 61.)
Surely this is sufficient to establish
the reputation of Mr.. Lansing not only
as a prophet but as a statesman!
Time and again Mr.. Lansing en-
deavored by personal memorandum
and otherwise TO put before the Presi-
dent wiser more practicable and more
constructive counsels. The record Is
clearly set out in these pages. The
result was always the same. The
President, for reasons satisfactory TO
himself, would not discuss the views
and suggestions of his Secretary of