Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-10-25
LANE LETTERS
CONTINUED from Page one)

set and sterotyped and stand pat that
| am almost hopeless as to moving
them 10 the wise, large and whole
some lob, he wrote They are
governed by red tape worse than any
union. The chief Of staff fell asleep
at our meeting today. Mars ana
Morpheus in one"
Again to his brother, February 20
Secretary Lane wrote
ION Friday we had one of the
most animated sessions of the cabinet
that | suppose has ever been led
under this, or any other President. IT
all arose cut Of very innocent ques-
ton Of mine as to whether it was true
that the wives of American consuls
on leaving Germany had been strip
ped naked. given an acid bath 70
detect writing on their flesh, ana
subjected to other indignitarles.
Lansing answered that it was
true Then | asked Houston about
the bread riots in New York. inns
led to q discussion of the great prom
lem which we had all been afraid 10
raise-why shouldn't we send our
ships out with guns and conveys:
Daniels said we must not convoy
that would be dangerous. CIhlnk OF
a secretary of the navy telling OF
danccr) The President said the
country was not willing that we
should take any risks of war | SAD
that I got no such sentiment out OF
the country. This the President took
eh
up a propaganda of hatred against
Germany. OF course, l said | had no
such idea, but felt that in a democ-
racv the people were entitled to know
the facts. McAdoo, Houston and
Redfield, joined me. The President
turned on them bitterly. especially on
McAdoo, and reproachcd all Of US
with appealing to the spirit OF the
"code duollo." We couldn't get the
idea ont OF his head that we were
bent on pushing the country into war.
Houston talked of resignlng after
the meeting. McAdoo will--within a
wear. | believe. I tried to smooth
them down by recalling our past eX-
pericnccs with the President. We
have Had to push and push to get
him to take any forward step. He
comes out right but he is slower than
n clacicr-and things are mighty dis
acrccable whenever anything has TO
be done"
In addition to his voluminous cor
rCspondcncc, which included letters
to virtually every person of import
ancc in the United states. Mir. Lane
made many notes on incidents occur
ring in his daily life. Among these
were copous comments on the cabi-
net meetings.
yesterday we had q cabinet meet
ing" he wrote under date Of October
%, 1918. "All were present. The
President was manifestly disturbed.
For some weeks, we have spent our
time at cabinet meetings largely III
telling stories. Even at the meeting
of a week ago, the day on which the
President sent his reply to Germany
his second note of the Paris series
we we're given no view Of the note.
which was already in Lansing's
hands and was emitted at o'clock.
Germany came back with an accept
ance of the Presidents terms-a SUI
perficial acceptance at least-hence
the appeal to the cabinet yesterday.
"This was his opening: T do not
know what to do. l must ask Your
advice | may have made a mistake
in not properly safeguarding what [
said before. What do you think
should be donc?''
This general query was followed
by long silence, which I broke by
saving that Germany would do any
thing he said.
"'What should | say?' he asked.
"That we would not treat until
Germany was across the Rhine"
This he thought impossible"
Mr.. Lane himself became dis