New-York tribune., 1922-10-25
Never in Sympathy With
Preparedness, Declaring
Europe Would End Fight.
ing Mad and Money Poor
Wanted Neither to Win
Meetings Devoted to Discus
sion of Frivolities as
Conflict Shook Nations

BOSTON, Oct. "a (By The Asso.
ciated Press).-A series of history
making letters, describing in detail the
American War Cabinet and giving an
intimate picture of Woodrow Wilson
as he appeared while presiding over
the secret meetings of his official
family, Is made public to-day. The
letters, written by the late Franklin
X. Lane, Secretary of the Interior in
the Cabinet of President Wilson from
1913 to 1929, have been collected and
edited by his widow, Anne Wintermute
Lane, and have been published by the
Houghton Mifiin Company. The vol
ume is just off the press.
The correspondence reveals, among
other things, how the President fre.
quently lost patience with the tire.
mendous problems confronting him
ard how. at other times, discourage
ment crowded him to such g degree
that he was prompted to turn bitter
~ upon his advisers when they failed
to agree with him.
Pursued Isolated Course
The letters give a description of Mr..
Wilson'S attitude on preparedness be.
fore America entered the war; tell
how he regarded the proposal to arm,
merchant ships, describe his opposi.
tion to anything approaching the
code duello". spirit at time when
the United States was neutral. and
then, when great questions we're press
Ing for decision, tell how he en-
couraged his Cabinet to talk OF
trivialities while he went along on his
own curse to solve the huge problems
facing his Administration
THE President said he didn't wish
TO see either side win-for both had
of neutrals," MIR. Lane wrote to his
brother on February II, 1917. comment.
ing on particularly animated Cabinet
discussion
On the subject of preparedness. even
few months before the United States
entered the war, Mr.. Lane quoted Presi-
dent Wilson as being mot in sym.
pathy." Writing again to his brother
February Is, 1917, Mr.. Lane said:
AT our dinner to the President last
night he said he was not in sympathy
with any great reparedness--that al
Europe would be mad and money-poor
by the end Of the war" Continuing
Mr.. Lane added few observations OF
his own.
1 Chief Of STAFF Slumbered
"'The army and the navy are so set
and stereoptyped and standpat that
| am almost hopeless as to movine
n a Wi 1ur
job" he wrote. "They are povernad
by red tape worse than any union. The
chief of staff fell asleep at our meet.
ing to-day. Mars and Morpheus ir
one" -
:, Again to his brother, February 25
Secretary Lane wrote:
"On Friday we had one of the most
animated sessions of the Cabinet that
n suppose has ever been held under
this or any other President It ali
arose out of very innocent question
OF mine as to whether it was true that
the wives of American consuls on leay-
ing Germany had been stripped naked
given an acid bath to detect writinp
on their flesh and subjected to other
indignities.
-, Lansing answered that 1t was true
~eSoS ti1 ASS" ~LlilS lea TO OlS-
cussion Of the great problem which
we had all been afraid to raise-why
shouldn't we send our ships out with
guns and conveys? Daniels said we
must not convoy-that would be dan
gerous. (Think Of Secretary Of the
Navy telling of danger.) The Presi-
dent said the country was not willing
that we should take any risks of war.
said that I got no such sentiment out
OF the country.
Wilson Rebukes Cabinet
"This the President took as sur.
gestion that we should work up q
propaganda of hatred against Germany
OF course, said / had no such idea
but felt that in democracy the
people were entitled to know the facts
McAdoo, Houston and Redfeld joined
me. The President turned on them
bitterly, especially on McAdoo, and re-
preached all of us with appealing to
the 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--within a year, believe. I tried
to smooth them down by recalling, our
past experiences 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
glacier-and things are mighty dis.
(CoatInusd on next pagc)