Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-13
CHAPTER XII.

Wn6n the pT0S1ueIC received LnlS
explanation from Mr.. Lansing, he
sent for me to visit with him in his
compartment. At the time I ar
rived he was seated in his little
study, engaged in preparing his
speech for the nights meeting. Turn
ing to me, with a deep show of feel
ing he said: "Read that, and tell
me what you think of man who
was my associate on the other side
and who confidentially expressed
himself to an outsider in such
fashion? Were in Washington I
would at once demand his resigna-
ton! That kind of disloyalty must
not be permitted to go unchallenged
for single minute. The testimony
Of Bullitt is a confirmation of the
suspicious I have had with reference
to this Individual. I found the same
attitude of mind on the part Of Lam
sing on the other side. I could find
his trail everywhere 1 went, but
they were onlyN suspicious and it
would not be fair for me to act upon
them. But here in his own state
ment is notification at last of
everything I have suspected. Think
of it! This from a man whom
raised from the level Of subordi-
nate to the great office of secretary
of state of the United States. My
God! I did not think it was posi-
BILE for Lansing to act in this way.
When we were in Paris found that
Lansing and others were constantly
giving out statements that did not
agree with my Viewpoint. When I
had arranged settlement, there
would appear from some source l
could not locate, unofficial state
ments telling the correspondents not
to take things too seriously; that a
compromise would be made, and this
news, or rather news Of this kind,
was harmful to the settlement had
already obtained and quite natural
ly gave the conference the impress
sion that Lansing and his kind were
speaking for me, and then the
French would say that I was bluff
fling"
I am convinced that only the
presidents illness a few days later
prevented an immediate demand on
his part for the resignation of Mr..
Lansing.
Lausing's Attitude
That there was not real devotion
on the part of Mr.. Lansing for the
president is shown by the following
incident:
A few days after the president re-
turned from the west and lay seri-
ously i'll at the White House, with
physicians, and nurses gathered
about his bed, Mr.. Lansing sought
a private audience with me in the
cabinet room. He informed me that
he had called automatically to sug-
gest that IN view of the incapacity
of the president we should arrange
to call in the vice president to act
in his stead as soon as possible, read.
ing to me from book which he had
brought from the state department,
which I afterward learned was "Jef.
ferson's Manual" the following
clauses Of the United States con-
stitution:
I'm case Of the removal Of the
president from office, or his death,
resignation, or inability to discharge
the powers and duties of the said
office, the same shall devolve upon
the vice president"
Upon reading this, I coIdly
turned to Mr.. Lansing and said:
''Mr. Lansing, the Constitution is
not dead letter with the White
House. I have read the Con
stitution and do not find myself
in need Of any tutoring at your
hands of the provision you have
just read" When / asked Mr..
Lansing the question as to who 81
should certify to the disability Of
the president, he intimated that
that would be job for either
DR.. Grayson or myself. imme-
diately grasped the full signifi-
canoe of what he intimated and
said: you may rest assured that
while Woodrow Wilson is lying
in the White House on the broad
of his back, will not be a party
to ousting him. He has been
too kind, too loyal and too won
derful to me to receive such
treatment at my hands" Just
as I uttered this statement, DIR.
Grayson appeared in the cabinet
room and 1 turned to him and
said: "And I am sure that DR..
Grayson will never certify to his
INSTABILITY. w LII yOuD
DR.. Grayson left no doubt in Mr..
Lansing's mind that he would
not do as Mr.. Lansing suggested.
1 then notified Mr.. Lansing that
if anybody outside of the White
House circle attempted to GER
tify to the presidents disability
that Grayson and I would stand
together and repudiate it.
added that if the president were
in a condition to know Of this
episode he would, in my opin-
ion, take decisive measures.
That ended the interview.
1t is unnecessary to say that no
future attempt was made by Mr..
Lansing to institute custer proceed
ings against his chief.
never attempted to ascertain
what finally influenced the action Of
the president peremptorily to de-
mand the resignation of Mr.. Lam
sing. My own judgment is that
the demand came as the elimination
Of repeated acts of what the presi-
dent considered disloyalty on Mr..
Lansing's part while in Paris, and
that the situation was evidently ex-
aggerated by Mr.. Lansing's notes to
Mexico during the presidents ill
ness.
Lansing's Resignation
When l received from the presf-