Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-10-25

a suggestion that We should work up
propaganda OF hatred against Ger
many. OF course. I said had no such
idea. but / felt that in democracy
the people were entitled TO know the
facts. sMcAdoo, Houston and Redfeld
IoIned me. The President turned on
them bitterly, especially on McAdoo,
and reproached all OF us with appeal
Ing to tho spirit OF the Code Duello.'
We couldn't get the idea out OF his
head that we were bent on pushing the
country into war"
Houston talked OF resigning after
the meeting. McAdoo will--wtthin n
year, believe. tried to smooth them
down by recalling our past experiences
with the President. We have had to
push and push 10 get him to fake any
forward stop. He comes out right. but
he Is slower than glacier, and things
are mighty dieagreeable whenever
anything has to be done"
In addition 10 his voluminous cor
respondence. which included letters to
virtually every person OF Importance
in the United States, Mr.. Lane made
HuHN iiVACS oll AuNihVhAH
his daily life. Among these were
copious comments on the Cabinet
meetings. In one of these notes,
dated March 1. 1918. he said:
Yesterday at Cabinet meeting we
had the first real talk on the war In
weeks-yes, IN months. Burleson
brought up the matter OF Russia
would we support Japan in taking
Siberia. or even Vlndivostok7 Should
We join Japan actively-fn force?
"The President said NO. for the
very practical reason that We had no
ships. We had difficulty in providing
for our men In France and for our Al
lies. (The President never uses this
word, saying that We are not allies -
In a note dated March IL, 1913, Sec
retary Lane wrote:
Nothing talked Of at Cabinet that
would interest nation, family or a
child. No talk of war, no talk of Rus
sia or Japan. Talk by McAdoo about
some bills In Congress. by the Presl-
dent about giving the veterans of tn,
Spanish war leave, with pay, to at.
tend their annual encampment, and III
| treated this seriously, as II Il were q
ma tier of first importanc -
Yesterday we had a Cabinet meet
Ing" he wrote under date OF October
23,' 1918. All were present. TIL,
President wac manfestly disturbed
For some weeks We have spent ou,
time at Cabinet meetings largely II
telling stories. Even at the meeting o
| x,.hf f,.h n.
President sent his reply 10 Germany
his second note of the Paris series
we were given no view of the note
which was already in I.ansings hands
and was emitted at o'clock. Ger
many came hack with an acceptano'
of the Presidents terms--a superficia
acceptance at least-hence the appea
70 the Cabinet yesterday"
This wac his opening: I do no
know what to do. l must ask your ad
vice. may have made a mistake Il
not properly safeguarding what I eat
before. What do you think should b
done2
This general~query was followed b
a long silence, which I broke by spytn
that Germany would do anything n
; said
What should ] say?' ne asked.
THAT we would not treat until Ger
many was across the Rhine.
This he thought impossible
( Lane himself became discouraged q
, times. On January 10. 1920. ne wrote
The whole world IA skcw-jee. AYR.
distorted and aitorether perverse Tn
I President Is broken IN body and oost
/ nate IN spirit. Clemenceau Is beate
for an Office he did not want. Eir
stein has declared the law OF grav
tation outgrown and decadent. DrinI
consolins friend OF n perturbed wor
is shut of, and all goes merry az
dance in he'll"