Evening star., 1921-03-25

opinion. to make the league of ma
tionS covenant the greatest interna
tional compact ever written. as was
intended. in the eleven days given to
the drafting. This is established by
the document itself, he says, which
provides for an oligarchy of the great
powers and a continuance of the pol
icy of the balance of power against
which the President spoke in Eng
land. but which he in effect subscribed
to in approving the covenant.
Relating the difficulties and embar-
easements to which three of the
American commissioners were sub
jected by failure of the President to
American commission on the league of
nations from it's first meeting until
its report was printed. Mr.. Lansing
says the office force of Col House
knew more about the proceedings
than the three American commission
ers. who were not present. Addi-
tional difficulties were caused by lack
of IN American program. the fourteen
points of the President being entire
ly insufficient for such purpose. Mr.
Lansing found the President indis-
posed to consider the subject of hav-
ing program. He asked the Ameri-
can legal advisers to prepare "skel-
eton treaty" but was told emphatic
ally by the President that the latter
did not intend to have lawyers draft
the treaty of peace.
Mr.. Lansing's idea was to secure
adoption of a resolution declaring the
purposes and nature of the league of
nations. providing for later negotia-
ton OF a detailed plan. and in the
meantime to make peace at the ear
lest possible moment This he
thought gould be done by April 1,
1919. Delay of peace for the purpose
OF completing the league he consid-
cred an unwarranted risk. The Presi-
a ~
Mr. Lansing found it possible to in
fer that the President was disposed
to employ the world desire for peace
as means to compel other govern
ments to accept his plan for a league
Sell elI-determination was a phrase of
the PRESIDENTS that Mr.. Lansing con-
sidered loaded with dynamite; bound
to cause impossible demands, and to
stir up trouble in many countries.
This principle. he says. was discredit-
ed when Germany was refused per-
mission to join with Austria. and it
was ignored in the Presidents policy
toward Russia. That the proposed
defensive treaty with France was
bad; that 1t would certainly be re-
jected by the American Senate. and
that it discredited article X. which
Mr.. Wilson considered vital to the
treaty. was the opinion of Mr.. Lansing
during the peace conference He in
dicates his belief that Clemenceau
insisted on the defensive hreaty as
the price Of support of the hague.
Mandate System Selfish.
Secretary Lansing finds the mandate
system of administering conquered
territories a selfish device benefiting
material interests of the mandate
holding powers under cover of appar-
ent altruism. 1t was sought to take
advantage of the unselfishness of the
American people to impose burden
a nAafaC ho
| while giving profitable ones to Euro
pean powers.
Mr.. Lansing opposed the mandate
system in talking with Col. House.
but never knew whether his objec-
tions were conveyed to the President.
In connection with other problems,
his communications sent directly to
the President were never acknowl-
edged according to Mr.. Lansing, who
found Mr.. Wilson intolerant of sug-