The Washington herald., 1921-03-25
Lansing Describes Wilson's Actions
At Paris Peace Conference, Telling
Quarrel Details in Book Out Today
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.


which he hoped to give open voice
to the aspirations OF the peoples OF
the world.
Sullivan Believes Wilson Tricked.
1t was my theory, and / still hold
to 1t in spite Of Mr.. Lansing that
Wilson was tricked out of this FIRST
one Of his fourteen points. i always
supposed that this was the first and
most essential step in that process
of 'bamboozlement to which one
Of the British officials. Mr.. Keynes.
has since said Mr.. Wilson was sub
jected by Clemenceau, Lloyd George
and the others.
thought at the time that ! was
able to put my finger on the precise
parliamentary device - and most
smart device 1t was-by which those
wilier diplomats who had given unc-
tuous lip-service to open covenants
but had no notion Of following the
practice within forty-eight hours of
the beginning of the Peace Con-
ference unanswered Mr.. Wilson into
a position where he had to swallow
their scheme of secrecy against his
will and look as IL he liked IL.
Say. Wilson Wanted Secrecy.
Mr.. Lansing. however. distinctly
gives the idea that Mr.. Wilson him
self wanted secrecy. for the reason
that secrecy would better enable
him to be wilful and to carry out
his personal plans without inter
ference. From Mr.. Lansing's book
you get the impression that Mr..
Wilson preferred secrecy as the best
means of protecting himself from
opposition, contradiction, or even
advice.
He was irritated." says Mr..
Lansing. by opposition to his
views. however moderately urged.
and he did NOT like to have his
Judgment questioned even in a
friendly way"
think. however. that Mr.. Lam
sing fails to distinguish between
secrecy as between Mr.. Wilson and
mis- American associates and secrecy
as regards the Peace Conference as
whole. That Mr.. Wilson was
secretive as regards all the other
American delegates, except possibly
Col. House, and that even Col.
House was banished from his con-
fidence after the FIRST three months,
Differences With Mr.. Wilson.
The backbone of the book is Mr..
LansinE's statement of his side of
the differences with Mr.. Wilson
which led to his dismissal in Feb
ruary, 1890. According to Mr.. Lam
sings version these differences be-
gan as long before as October. 1918
During that month President Wn-
son held frequent conferences with
Col. House. and after one of these
conferences Col. House astonished
Mr.. Lansing with The Information
that Mr.. Wilson intended to go to
the Peace Conference personally.
Mr.. Lansing did not believe IL
was wise and feeling very strongly
that II would be a grave mistake
Tor the President to take part in
person in the negotiations. l felt il
to be my duty as his oficial ad-
wiser in foreign affairs and as one
desirous to have him adopt a wise
course. to state plainly to him my
views"
Stated Objections.
Mr.. Lansing says he Aesitated to
do this because he knew that he
himself as Secretary OF State would
be the head of the American Peace
Commission II Mr.. Wilson remained
at home. Therefore, he feared that
his motive in opposing the Presi-
dents attending might be miscon-
strued. However. Mr.. Lansing
with an air of rather overconscious
rectitude: overcome his scruples and
went to the President with his
views.
He records the episode in his
diary for November IL: 81 had a
conference this noon with the
President at the White House. I
told him frankly that 1 thought
that his plan fer him to attend was
unwise. / hoped that he understood
that I spoke only out of a sense OF
duty"
The end OF this episode is re-
corded by Mr.. Lansing in this sig
nificant sentence: The President
listened to my remarks without
comment and turned the converse
tion into other channels"
Beginning of the Quarrel:
This incident, Mr.. Lansing be-
lieves, was the beginning of the rift
between himself and Mr.. Wilson.
He believes that Mr.. Wilson con-
sidered this advice to be IAN un-
warranted meddling with his per-
sonal affairs and none of my busi-
ness. From that time forward any
suggestion or advice volunteered by
me was sneeringly viewed with
suspicion"
BY the time they all got to Paris
Mr.. Lansing had begun to feel self
conscious about the strain between
himself and the President. Because
of the Presidents aloofness and his
own timidity, he was no longer
bold enough to press his views on
the President personally. When he
had views about the league of ma
tions-and he had many and definite
ones-he contended himself with
giving them vicariously TO Col.
House. On other occasions he sent
his chief long notes labelled "se-
cret and urgent" To these notes
he ''never received a reply or even
an acknowledgment"
Feared Explosion.
Finally. on January 10. came the
episode which was nearest TO overt
and dramatic. Even as Mr.. Lansing
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