New-York tribune., 1921-03-27

W MSitSj III. ObtSS.
framing his fourteen points and his
four principles 1t would have been
far more advantageous to let the con-
ference come to him in his oracular
seclusion for any interpretations sub
sequently needed.
Any Hint of Opposition,
Says Lansing, Annoyed Wilson
The President was at his best in the
realm Of generalization and abstrac-
ton. He had the schoolanaster's tenn
permanent, tinged with the tempera-
ment of the Scotch theologian.
Henry Watterson, before his first
nomination, had sought to emphasize
the pedagogical quality of his mind by
calling him a Eugene Aram. Keynes
visualized him as a Presbyterian elder
Mr. Lansing was familiar IN these
personal characteristics, and in warn
ing the President not to go abroad
he undoubtedly sensed his chiefs dis
qualification for the duties which
would devolve on him at the confer
ence.
The night the President announced
that he was going to Paris Mr.. Lam
sing wrote: 81 am convinced that he
is making one of the greatest mis-
takes OF his career and will imperil
his reputation"
Why such forecast Mr.. Wilson
lacked suppleness as statesman. He
had an unbounded confidence in his
own Judgment on all matters in which
he was personally and intellectually
interested He distrusted advice and,
as MI. Lansing says again and again.
was annoyed by any hint of opposi-
ton. His resentment at any criti-
cism OF his ideas was quickly trans
ferred to the critic. He built wall
around himself and remained insensi
tive to the subtle stimulation and cor
rective influence Of any genuine ming
ling of thought.
Along with this aloofness went an
extraordinary obstinacy. Mr.. Wilson
was so sure that he was right that it
panied him to admit that he ever could
be or had been wrong.
Mr.. Keynes said of him that when
ne was once "bamboozlcd" it was prac-
tically impossible to "debamboozle-
him. Mr.. Lansing says the same thing,
as in this passage: "He seemed to think
that, having marked out definite plan
Iof action, any deviation from it would
show intellectual weakness or vacilla-
tion of purpose. Even when there could
be no doubt that in view of changed
conditions it was wise to change a
policy which he had openly adopted or
approved, he clung to it with peculiar
tenacity, refusing or merely failing to
modify it. Mr.. Wilson's mind, once
made up, seemed to become inflexible.
1t appeared to grow impervious to ar
guments and even to facts. 1t lacked
the elasticity and receptivity which
have been characteristic of sound judg-
ment and right thinking. He might
break, but he would not bend. This
rigidity of mind accounts in large
measure for the deplorable and, as it
seemed to me, needless conflict between
the President and the Senate over the
Treaty of Versailles"
"Suddenness Rather Than
Mr.. Lansing also notes in the Presi-
dents mentality strange mixture of
positiyeness of opinion with indecision
in action. "Suddenness, rather than
promptness, always marked his de-
cisions" To this habit of procrastina-
ton Mr.. Lansing attributes the Presi-
dents complete unreadiness to take up
the work of the conference. He had no
rough draft of a treaty, 20 Instructions
for his own guidance or for the guidance
of the other commissioners, no plans of
any sort, no definite contribution to
make to the great settlement except the
main idea afterward embodied in Ar
ticle X and few other rough sugges-
tions for a constitution of league OF
nations. At Paris. where he assumed
the chief burden of the American dele
cations work, he neglected all admin
istrative preparation, seldom had reso-
luton or minute ready to offer and de-
volved practically all the drafting work
on members of other delegations. The
glaring defect Of hand-to-mouth i'm
proyisation which marked so much OF
his craftsmanship at home persisted at
Paris.
Mr.. Lansing naturally dreaded seeing
a President so handicapped by tempera-
ment and 50 vulnerable to the undermin-
ing methods of Gid World diplomacy
drawn into difficult and enmeshing ne
gotiations conducted with absolute Sc
crecy Mr.. Wilson also disarmed him
self almost from the start, when the
=