New-York tribune., 1921-03-25
lansing Lays
Bart. I)iss.t,rti
Will, Wilson,
-. on Verge of Quitting
pace Mission Because
i shaniung Award. He
I)lxelo~es I'm His Book
President Ignored
Advice Of His Aids
Iu&issed OF Article X, En-
Secretary Says. and Gave
In 10 Secret Diplomacy

In 10 Sccret AJafDhOfuacy
Rsbsrs Lansing, former Secretary oi
/ ~, and member of the American
p.scs Commission. reveals in his book
ne Peace Negotiations. published
n ths Hoaghton MifHin Company. how
5e,s he came % resigning from the
anmission because Of differences with
prsident Wilson over the Shantung
1eision and his belief that many of
ns terms Of peace imposed on Ger
nauy we're harsh, humiliating and
hsmingly impossible of performance.
president Wilson, according to Mr.
l1nsing's belief, at one time during the
ssaes conference purposed to negoti-
" . preliminary treaty which would
ST the League Of Nations function
l,s without laying the document before
He United States Senate, and evidently
~ much perturbed when his Secre-
by Of State told him that the only
Nv 70 change the status from war to
Snes was by ratified treaty or a
D)ist resolution of Congress.
4 profound conviction that immedi-
~ peace was the primary need of the
tsrld. Mr.. Lansing implies, was all
lat kept him from resigning from the
pace commission because of funda-
mental disagreements with the Presi.
ttht on principles. The former Sscre.
ay discloses that in 1916; shortly be
fore meeting in Washington of the
League to Enforce Peace, at which the
President was to speak, Mr.. LANSING
vote to Mr.. Wilson, objecting to the
Use Of force to settle international dis.
putes In this letter he pointed to the
menace to the Monroe Doctrine con.
nlned in such plan.
Tried to Kill Article X
Alarmed at the complications of wa,
ind foreign entanglements in the guar
m,y Of territorial integrity and politi
al independence Of members Of tn,
Mgue, guaranty that finally wa:
embodied in Article X of the covenant
~ lansing says that at Paris he triet
y have substituted negative pledg,
hss the members would not infring,
Won each others territorial integrit,
y poitlcal ineepenAap ce. He becam,
unsinced that Colonel Edward M
huse, then President Wilson's closes
idviser, was completely converted will
Hgard to this question.
is in relation to Shantuug that Nh
lansing discloses the sharpest differ
nsss between himself and Presiden
Hilson. Mr.. Lansing gives as hi
y'nion that blackmail and bluff b,
lipan impelled the President to agre
surrender to that country sucl
Fights In Shantung as before the wa
Nfs held by Germany and automati
ally annulled when China declare,
eustilities. In his opinion only secre
ap!ccmacy made it possible for Japa,
threaten to leave the peace confer
wee unless its demands were granted
ithreat Mr.. Lansing believed woult
mt have been executed because of tn,
sgpreciation by Japan that the benefits
- new and powerful world position
nuld be retained only by membership
Athe League of Nations.
Indignant Over Shantung
ihst other members of the America,
@mmisslon shared his view that tn,
SSaantung decision as rendered by tn,
.ssnc'l Of Four was a fragrant wrony
no were prevented from resignins
my by the critical conditions in tn,
ssf'd situation is clearly implied BY
~ Lansing. He describes the indie
ssuon wa.o felt by himself and by Hcnr,
wn''e and General Tasker H. Bills.
ao IN this connection publishes tn,
sHer written by General Bliss to tn,
u,sesident, in which Mr.. Lansing ane
aL white concurred, stating that tt
.0Pport the Japanese claim would bt
wscanoon Chinese democracy to dom.
.assion OF Japan's Prussianized mill
~, ~ was impossible, in Mr.. Lansing's
wa'on, to make the League of Ma.
.;, sas covenant the greatest interna.
;sss ;sa. compact ever written, as was
,s.saaed, in the eleven days given tt
~ arafting. This is established b,
ms oocument itself, he says. whici
s. s.vviaes Tor an oligarchy of the grea,
w.sls ana continuance of the policy
X "c balance of power against which
ss,.t resident spoke in England, bu,
sa s'cn ne IN effect subscribed to in
vSsvving the covenant.
neIating the difficulties and embar-
,ss ssments to which three of the Amer.
ssa M. commissioners were subjected by
,sss ,snsre OF the President to hold single
s;.ssence -. with the American Commits
vs s,ss on the League of Nations from it's
ma. M meeting until its report WAS
mseo' Mr.. Lansing says the office
.sea. se Of Colonel House knew more
su. the Proceedings than the three
ss.s.N .s..ean commissioners who were not
,ssss ssss1'' Additional difficulties were
-" ssso by lack Of an American uro-
SP,8, P,,s,,s.tIhe the fourteen points Of the
,oss ss'oent being entirely insufficient for
hss;as haa purpose. Mr.. Lansing found the
ssh;.oen ssh;;oent indisposed to consider the
a. 49, OF having a program. He asked
,ns%erlcan legal advisers to prepare
pA.s;ston s;s'vton treaty." but was told EN-
httss by the President that the
arsfs' . oid not intend to have LAWYERS
N, 'ne treaty of peace.
.dsn,;. Lansing's idea was to secure
suon su,n.Sn OF resolution declaring the
sat;csss and nature of the League of
a'' providing for later negotiation
Veatiuusd ss aext eass>