Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-25
WILSON BLUNDERED
At PEACE MEETING,
LANSING INSISTS
Deposed Secretary Sharply Criti-
cises Former Presidents Part
at Versailles Conference.
HE ALMOST RESIGNED THEN
By Associated Press to Every Evening.


BY Associated Press to Every Evening.
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. Mifflin Com
pany, today, how close he came TO
resigning from the Commission because
of differences with President Wilson
over the Shantung decision and his be-
lief that many of the terms of peace
imposed on Germany were harsh, hu-
initiating and seemingly impossible of
performance.
President Wilson, according to MIR.
Lansng's belief at one time during the
Peace Conference purposed to negoti-
ate preliminary treaty which would
start the League of Nations function
ing without laying the document before
the United States Senate, and evident
ly was much perturbed when his Sec
retary of State told him that the only
way to change the status from war to
peace was by a ratified treaty or joint
resolution of Congress.
Came Near Res.Sning.
A profound conviction that immedi-
ate peace WAS the HtSd Vi Aht
world, Mr.. Lansing implies. was all that
kept him from resigning from the Peace
Commission because of fundamental
disagreements with the President on
principles. The former Secretary dis
closes that in 1916, shortly before a
meeting in Washington of the League
to Enforce Peace at which the Presi-
dent was TO speak. Mr.. Lansing wrote
TO Mr.. Wilson objecting TO the use of
force to settle international disputes.
In this letter he pointed TO the menace
to the Monroe Doctrine contained in
such a plan.
Alarmed at the complications of war
and foreign entanglements in the guar
antee of territorial integrity and po-
litical independence of members of the
League, a guarantee that finally was
embodied in Article y of the Covenant,
Mr.. Lansing says at Paris he tried to
have substituted a negative pledge that
the members would not infringe upon
each others territorial integrity or
political independence. He became con-
vinced that Colonel Edward NJ. House,
then President Wilson's closest adviser.
was completely converted with regard
TO this question.
Differed on Standing.
II is in relation TO Shantung MIR.
Lansing discloses the sharpest differ
ences between himself and President
Wilson. Mr.. Lansing gives as his opin-
ion that biaCkmail and bluff by Japan
impelled the President to agree to sur
render TO that country such rights in
Shantung as before the war were held
by Germany and automatically annuIled
when China declared hostilities. In
his opinion only secret diplomacy made
il possible for Japan to threaten to
leave the Peace Conference unless its
demands We're granted. a threat Mr..
Lansing believed would not have been
executed because OF the appreciation
by Japan that the benefits OF a new
and powerful world position could be
retained only by membership In the
League of Nations.
That other members of the American
Commission shared his view that the
Shantung decision as rendered by the
Council Of -Four was a fragrant wrong
and were prevented from resigning only
by the critical conditions in the world
situation is clearly implied by Mr..
Lansing. He describes the Indignation
felt by himself and by Henry White and
General Tasker II. Bliss and in this
connection publishes the letter written
by General Bliss to the President, in
which Mr.. Lansing and Mr.. White con-
Cured. stating that 10 support the
japanese claim would be 70 abandon
Chinese democracy TO domination OF
Japans Prussianized m1litarism
Faults of League Covenant.
II was impossible, in Mr.. Iansing's
opinion, TO make the League Of Nations
CnUarse the H.
ever written. as was intended
in the II days given TO the drafting.
This is established by the document it
self. he says. which provides for an
OF the Great Powers and a
continuance Of the policy Of the balance
OF power against which the President
spoke in England but which he in effect
to in approving the
Covenant.
Relating the difficulties and embar-
easements TO which three OF the Amer |
lean Commissioners were subjected by |
failure of the President to hold a single I
conference with the American Com |
on the League of Nations from |
It's first meeting until its report was |
printed, Mr.. Lansing says the Office /
force Of Colonel House knew more about
the proceedings than the three Amer
can Co.. -missioners who were not
present. Additional difficulties were
caused by lack of an American program.
the Fourteen Points Of the President
being entirely insufficient for such a
purpose. Mr. Lansing found the Pres
dent indisposed to consider the subject
y having a program. He asked the
American legal advisers to. prepare a
skeleton treaty" but was told en-
'hatically by the President that the
after did not intend to have lawyers
lraft the II Teaty of peace.
President Took Unwarranted Risk
Mr.. Lansings idea was to secure
Idoption of resolution declaring the
purposes and nature Of the League Of
providing for later negotiation
II detailed plan, and in the meal. me
o make peace at the earliest possible
moment. This he thought could be
lone by April !, 1919. Delay Of peace
or the purpose of completing the
league he considered an unwarranted
isk. The President, however. thought
and Mr.. Lansing found il
'ossible TO infer that the President was
isposed to employ the world desire for
eace as a means TO compel other gov
rnments to accept his plan for a
>eague.
Self-determination was a phrase Of the
residents that Mr.. Lansing considered
'aded with dynamite; bound to cause
npossibie demands, and to stir up