The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1921-03-31

his arguments against the big Five"
believing that to be the only way he
could assure support of Britain, ia
pan, France and Italy to a League of
Nations
Charges Wilson Sacrificed Principles
to Have League Pact Added
To Treaty
Lansing insists that Wilson "sacri-
feed his idealism, his principle of self
determination, his open diplomacy"
and long delayed the return of peace
because he insisted that the League
of Nations must be written into the
peace treaty."
Another wide breach between the
president and his secretary of state
developed in negotiating a separate
treaty with France This Lansing
vigorously opposed, he said, not be-
cause he objected to assuring France
of protection against possible future
German retaliation, but because it was
contrary to Lansing's idea of America
aloftness from European entangle-
ments. He argues with the president
that the guarantee contained in the
Covenant of the League, Article X,
was sufficient protection for France, as
it was for the smaller nations around
Germany.
David Lloyd George pledged Britain
to such treaty with France if the
United States would sign a similar
agreement, which proposed to assist
France, in economic, diplomatic and
military ways, if Germany again at
tackled France without provocation.
IN. Clemenceau continued to press
the president to agree to his plan,"
Lansing writes. what arguments
were employed to persuade him l can
not say; but, knowing the shrewd.
ness of the French premier in taking
advantage of situation, my belief
is that he threatened to withdraw his
support Of the League of Nations. To
"'OiN Oillo IHS pIeSlu6nL SUD-
mitted to the French demands"
The protective treaty with France
was signed on the morning the treaty
of Versailles was signed, at the presi-
dents residence, by France, Great Bri-
tain and the United States. Wilson
and Lansing signed for the United
States.
at would have been futile for me
to have refused" Lansing writes, con-
tinuing:
"This further departure from Amer
ica's historic policy caused me to ac-
tcept President Wilson's guidance and
direction with increasing reluct-
ance.' We did not agree, we could not
agree" e.
Lansing says he did not resign his
commission at that time because he
felt it would create an embarrassing
situations in the negotiations" of the
peace treaty.
Accuses big Four" at Conference of
Practicing Secret Diplomacy"
Of secret diplomacy, as practiced,
Lansing says, by Wilson, Clemen-
ceau, Lloyd George and Orlando, he
writes:
Everywhere they are developing
bitterness and resentment against
secretiveness which is interpreted to
mean failure. The patience of the
people is worn threadbare. Their tenn
per has grown ragged. They are sick
Of whispering diplomats"
Of Wilson's principle of self deter
mination," Lansing says:
"The phrase is simply loaded with
dynamite. What effect will it have
on the Irish, the Indians, the Egyptians
and the nationalists among the Beers ?
1t will raise hopes which never can be
realized.
'Mr. Wilson = = = made it one of the
bases of peace And yet, in the nego-
tiations at Paris and in the formula
ton of the foreign policy of the Unit
ed States, he has by his acts denied
the existence of the right other than
as the expression of a moral precept.
"Mr. Wilson even further dscred-
tied the phase by adopting policy to-
ward Russia which ignored the prin-
ciple."
The principle of"self- determination"
was in the original mutual guaranty"
article Gid, Lansing asserts, and was
later eliminated when that article be-
come the famous Article X. The elm
ination was "chiefiy due to the opposi-
ton of the statesmen who represented
the British empire in contradistinction
to those who represented the self-gov-
erning British Dominions.
81 do not know the arguments used
to induce the president to abandon the
phase"
Declares Wilson Permitted Him to
Know Little of Inner Workings.
Lansing admits that he knew little
of the inner workings of the peace
conference. He says the president
made IL clear he did not wish him 70