Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-25
Mr.. LANSING'S PORTRAIT
OF MR.. WILSON AT PARIS
Ex.seeretary's Book on the Peace Ne.
sotIations Also Paints a Picture Of
Himself as a Rejected Official

0NllE manifest purpose of Robert Lansing's
l. book on The Peace Negotiation" is
to justify his course in staying ut the head
OF the State Department until President
Wilson asked him to leave 1t in February
Of last year.
AS there is never unanimity on anything.
some persons are certain to insist TINT he
has succeeded They will find in the bool;
evidence of loyalty to those principles on
which Mr.. Lansing was convinced that the
peace treaty should be founded-a loyalty
80 great that II made him willing to submit
to humiliation nftcr humiliation in the hope
that he might even in some small particular
secure modification of a program to which
ne was unalterably opposed. Mr.. Lansing
himself apparently takes this view. for he
has much To say about his futile attempts
TO persuade Mr.. Wilson to change his mind.
The general verdict. however, is likely to
be that he has exhibited a state Of facts
which should have led him to resign ms Sec
retary of state in the autumn of 1918 in
order to permit the President to appoint
successor in whose Judgment he had conf
dPnce and with whom he could consult on
terms of mutual understanding
1t would be very easy to say that Mr..
Lansing did not resign because he wished
to hang on to the Office as long as possible
He is an international lawyer who has been
engaged in dealing with negotiations between
nations for many years. The promotion of
such a man to the head Of the foreign Office
in his government is like the promotion of
lawyer to seat on the Supreme Court
bench. 1t puts him at the top of his pro-
fession and is the greatest honor that can
come to him.
Mr.. Lnnsing'S qualification at becoming
the head of the State Department was nat
ural While it would be easy to say that
sort Of understandable human vanity kept
him in office, the explanation must be sought
elsewhere. But whatever it may be, it is
not adequate.
The former secretary of state explains that
he believed the treaty Of peace with Ger
many should be negotiated with as little
delay as possible. He even favored tenn
porary treaty which would end the state of
war, while the permanent treaty should be
negotiated more at leisure. He believed that
the maximum indemnity that Germany must
pay should be fixed in that treaty. And he
believed in n League Of Nations in which
the equality of all nations was recognized.
in which there was no guarantee TO use
force to protect the territorial integrity Of
nations and in which there were no such
mandates as were finally provided for.
But when he began to make suggestions
for peace treaty and league late in the
summer of 1913 he discovered that he was
President Indeed. the President did not
take him into his confidence. He did not
reply to his notes or make any acknowledge
ment of the memoranda prepared for his in
formation. He was compelled to ask Colonel
House what was in the Presidents mind
and even then got little satisfaction. Colo
mel House apparently thought properly that
il the President wished Mr.. Lansing to know
his plans he would disclose them himself
Most OH nir
have resigned. Mr.. Lansing pockcted his
pride and continued in office. His course
tied his hands and closed his mouth. lie
could not publicly advocate anything be-
cause he was in danger of committing him
self TO a project which the President would
reject. 1t was necessary that the official
United States should present a soid front.
and Mr.. Lansing realized this.
II he had resigned. say. in December.
1918. when it was evident to him that he
differed radically with the President. he
would have been free as n private citizen TO
aGvOCatc course of procedure in Paris
which he believed the situation demanded.
His prestige as an expert in international
affairs would have commanded attention for
his views, and as the first definite PROPOSE
tionS put forth on this side of the ocean
sentiment would have crystallizcd about them
and would have inevitably forced Mr.. Wilson
gram than he did make.
Mr. Lansing clearly understood the temper
Of the Senate and understood ii much better
than Mr.. Wilson did. He wrote to the
President on December %. 1918. while they
were both in Paris that n League Of Na-
tions covenant with guarantee Of terri
toral integrity, such as Mr.. Wilson favored,
was unwisc. There would be- difference Of
opinion about the manner of enforcing the
guarantee which would be seized upon by
opponents of n league 10 create disrord.
and in addition there would be opposition
in Congress to assuming obligations to take
affirmative action along either milit"-y or
economic grounds. He prophesed that this
opposition would weaken our position among
other nations and might defeat the league
covenant altogether. But the President did
not agree with him and went his way without
even acknowledging the receipt of the letter.
The publication Of this letter in Mr.. Ian.
sing's book is the first intmation that such
advice wns given to tn" President.
It may be that in the course of time Mr.
Lansing may come to the conclusion that he
made a mistake by remaining in the cabinet
and that h" ought to have freed himself from
the bonds OF silence in order to make n
fight in the open for those things in which
he believed
Popular interest in Mr.. Lansing story
Will center largely on the personal side Of
IT, This is not Of great historical impor.
tnnce The President pursued his way as
the constitutional officer entrusted with the
duty Of negotiating treaties as he had
right to do, It was not necessary for him
to consult with anybody and he had perfect
right 10 reject whatever advice was given
10 him. for the final decision was his lie
could ignore the other members Of the Peace
Commission with impunity and 50 far as
Mr. Lansing knows. he did ignore them most
Of the time. He made use Of Colonel House
as an intermediary, it is true, but he re.
iertpd the views of the colonel on the league
covenant just as he rejcrted those Of Mr..
Lansing. The grievances of a man who went
to Paris with full knowledge that he was out
Of sympathy with the plans Of the President
are not Of great moment
There is historical value in the book bc.