The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-03-25

Z
Delegates.
Boston, March 25.-Robert Lansing,
former secretary of state and member
OF the American Peace Commission.
will reveal in his forthcoming book
on The Peace Negotiations" which
will be published by Houghton, Mif-
Tin Company, March %, how close
he came to resigning from the com
mission because of differences with
President Wilson over the Shantung
decision and his belief that many of
the terms of peace imposed on Ger
many were harsh. humilia' ing and
seemingly impossible of perform
ancs.
The publishers of this book, which
has been eagerly awaited by histor-
ians and the pubic, have carefully
sdarded the text of the manuscript
bur they have permitted the general
trend of Mr.. LanSing's argument to
become known.
President Wilson, according to Mr..
Lansings $ belief. at one time during
the Peace Conference purposed to ne
rotia'e il preliminary treaty which
"euld start the League of Nations
runctioning without laying the docu-
ment before the United States Senate,
AID evidently was much perturbed
when his secretary of state told him
mat the only way to change the sta
tGs from war TO peace was by rati-
fed tr atty or a joint resolution of
tongre ss.
Why He Staid
\ profound conviction that imme-
diate peace was he primary need OF
the world. Mr.. Lansing implies, was
ell that kept him from resigning from
the Peace Commission because of the (
fundamental disagre eements with the
president on principles The former
-. e,ory dlscloses that in 1916.
shortly before a meeting in Washing
ton of the League to Enforce Peace
81 which the pr Sident was to speak,
Mr. Lansing wrote to Mr.. Wilson OBJ
jrctng to the use OF force to settle
International disputes. In this letter
he pointed to the menace to the Mon.
rce Doctrine contained i'll such a plan.
Alarmed at the complications of
War and iortign entanglements in the
guarantee uf territorial integrity
LLd political independence of mem
Eera Of the League, a guarantee that-
finally was embodied in Article X OF
the CCVenan'. Mr. Lansing says that
At Paris lie tried to have substituted
l negative pledge that the members
would not infringe upon each others
territorial integrity CT political indie
pendence. He became convinced that
Colonel Edward NJ, House, then Pres.
id6nt Wilson's closest adviser, was
completely converted with regard to
this question
The Shantung Affair
1t is i'll relation to Shantung Mr..
Lansing diScloses the sharpest diff
ferenCes between himself and Presi-
dent Wilson. Mr. Lansing gives as
his opinion that Llackmail and bluff
by Japan impelled the president to
agree to surrender to that country
Such rights in Shantung as before the
war were held by Germany and auto.
maticllly annulled when China de-
clared hostilities. In his opinion
Only secret diplomacy made it possi-
Bile for Japan to threaten to leave the
Peace Conference unless its demands
were granted. a threat Mr.. Lansing
believes would not have been execut-
led because of the appreciation by
Japan that the benefits OF new and
powerful world position could be re-
tanned only Ly membership in the
League of Nations.
Tha' other members of the Ameri-
can Commission shared his view that
the Shantung decision as rendered
By the Council Of Four was flag
rant wrong and were prevented from
resigning only by the critical condf-
ti0ns in the world situation is clearly
implied by Mr.. Lansing. He de-
scribss the indignation felt by HIM
self and by Henry White and General
Tasker H. Bliss and in this connec-
tiop publishes the letter written by
General Bliss to the president, IN
which Mr.. Lansing and Mr.. White
conquered, stating that to support the
Japanese claim would be to aband0t
Chinese democracy to domination 0f
Japan's Prussianized militarism.
Time Too Short ~.esx
1t was impossible, in Mr. Lansihk.H
opinion, to make the League of N0E
tions Covenant the greatest internaA
tional compact ever written, as was
intended, in the II days given to tho
drafting This is established by the.
document he says which provides
for an oligarchy Of the great powers
and continuance 1df the policy of the
balance of power against which tkk.
president spoke in England but whief
he. in effect Subscribed 70 ID approx
ing the Covenant agtiSa t4
Relating the difficulties, and emb6
easements to- which three Of rs
American Commissioners were Hit