Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-28
LANSING ATTACK ON
WILSON FALLS FLAT
If He's Telling the Truth in New
Book re Should Have Re-
signed, Friends Say.

WASHINGTON. d. c.. March 2S. Rob
ert Larsings literary fling at Woodrow
Wilson fell like a "dud' on official Wash
irgtor. 1t didn't even sputter, much
less explode. Kicks from all sides were
its portior, with Democrats chanting
''who 's-afraid- -thing-like-thatp and
Republicans chorusing ''we-knew-it-all-th
time.
For once the treaty partisans agreed
in condemnirg the author. Approach
irg the volume from different angles,
the bitterest of Woodrow Wilson's crit
les ard his warmest defenders arrived
mt the same conclusion that Lansing
book. "Thc Peace Negotiations; a Per-
sonal Narrative" entities him to con-
demnation rather than the vindicatlon
he sought in publishing it, On this
there was almost complete unanimity.
Naturally, Republican Senators who
fought the treaty, the League ard Presi-
dent Wilson found comfort in the book,
declaring it justified their own posi-
ton The unexpected feature OF Their
criticism was their attitude toward Ian
sing As one Senator expressed 1t:
"If what Lansing saws in his book is
truc-and we discovered most OF u TOT
ourselves il was his business and his
patriotic duty TO resign from the Peace
Conference and from the Wilson Admins
tratiop, and tell the country what nc
knew.
On the other hand, Democratic Sena-
tors denounced the book and ITS author
rs unfair; declared his own statements
convict him of the disloyalty with which
| President Wilson charged him, and sum
Marie their opinion Of the volumn by
saving il is only what might have been
| expected, considering its source,
| Even the Senators who agree WIN
| everything Lansing SAYS had no kihd
words for the former Secretary oi State
himself. Charitable comment was CON
! spicuouslv absent in the publicity ana
privately expressed opinions.
| Senator Henry Cabot Lodge char
man Of the Foreign Relations Commit
toe who led the treaty opponents INTO
| the battle to defeat IT, Is one ot the group
who read the book with interest but re-
fused TO discuss il for publication. II =
understood by his friends that he VIII
! have no comment to make on IT.
Senator Hitchcock, Of Nebraska. who
| ed the fight for ratification. has not
read the book. hut has read portions OF
Lansinr's character sketches of Wilson,
/ Clcmenceau and LLOYD George. On the
basis of these articles, and what nc know
/ Of the relations between former lrcsldcnt
/ Wilson and Secretary Lanslr. Hitch
cock voiced the opinion that Lansing
could not be fair IN his estimates OF VII
son even if he wished 90 be.
In my Judgment. President wilson
made mistake in taking Secretary
Lansing to Europe and humihating hlm
there. Senator Hitchcock sand. 1t IS
questionable whether Secretary Lansing
could have rendered any real service 20
the President under any conditions. But
having been taken TO Paris, he should
have been accorded the consideration
given the high officials of other govern
ments At the peace conference.
In view Of their relations, II IS obvi-
Gus that Secretary Lansing IS utterly
incapable Of Judging President Wilson
fairly His book could not be iair, rs
he is necessarily bitter over the way ne
was treated Judging from what have
read OF his articles, which preceded pub
hcation Of the book. Lansing consider
ably over-estimated the relative position
of Clemenceau. and haven doubt ne
greatly under-estimated the position and
service Of Woodrow Wilson
One Senator, who said he had not
been able to obtain a copy Of the book
declared that from reading OF the re-
views il was apparent TO him that VII
son and Lansing were equally to he con
dcrnncd He took the ground thatLansinl
should have resigned and told the country
what was happening at Pans.