Evening star., 1922-11-08
Letters of Franklin K. Lane
Revelations of the War Cabinet and Intimate
Views of National and World Figures by the For
mer Secretary of the Interior.
By nns ". Ians3
THAT We would not treat unit
Germany was across the Rhine.
Copyright, 1922, By Anns ". Lane. }

Germany was across the Rhine"
This he thought impossible.
Then others took a hand. Wilson said
| the allies should be consulted. Houston
thought there was no real reform in
| side Germany. McAdoo made a long
I. talk favoring an armistice on terms
fixed by the military authorities.
Strangely enough, Burleson. who had
| voted against all our stiff action over
! the Lusitania and has pleaded for the
Germans steadily, was most belligerent
in his talk. He was ferocious-so much
so that / thought he was trying TO
make the President react against any
stiff note-for he knows the President
| WELL and knows that any kind OF
! strong, blood thirsty talk drives him
into the cellar Of pacifism. 80
/ One Of the things McAdoo said was
that we could not financially sustain
| the war for two years. He was ior
an armistce that would compel Ger
many to keep the peace. military su-
! periority recognized by Germany, with
Foch, Haig and Pershing right on top
| Of them all the time. Secretary wilson
came back with his suggestion that the
allies be consulted. Then Baker wrote
| a couple of pages outlining the form OF
! such a note suggesting an armistlce. /
/ said that this should be sent to our
partners in the war, without giving 1t
! to the world. THAT we were in a con-
fdentiaI relation to France and Eng
land, that they were in danger Of
| troubles at home, possible revolution.
| and if the President. with his prestige.
! were to ask publicly an armtstice which
/ they would not think wise to grant,
or which couldn't be granted, the send
| ing OF such message into the world
| would be coercinG them. The President
! said that they needed to be coerced.
that they were getting to point where
! they were reaching out for more than
| they should have in justice. ! pointed
| out the position in which the President
; would be if he proposed an armlsuce
which they ,the alliesl would not grant.
| He said that this would be left 10
| their military men. and they would
practically decide the outcome Of the
war by the terms Of the armistice,
which might include leaving all heavy
guns behind. and putting MetZ. Stras-
! burg. etc. in the hands OF the allies
until peace WAS declared
/ suggested that Germany" might
not know what the Presidents terms
were as to Courland, etc. that this
| was not Invaded territory. He re-
piled that they evidently did. as they
now were considering methods of
, getting OUT of the Erest-Litovsk
treaty. He said he was afraid of boil
| shevism in Europe and the kaiser
| was needed to keep it down-to keep
som. order. He really seemed
alarmed that the time would come
soon when there would be no posi-
bility OF saving Germany from the
Germans. This was new note 10
me.
. He asked Secretary W llSon II the
! press really represented the serti-
! nent of the country AS TO uncondl- :
| tional surrender Wilson said ii did.
! lie said that the press WAS brutal in
! demanding all kinds Of punishment t
! for the Germans. including the hang
( ing Of the kaiser. AT the end of The
! meeting which lasted nearly two
! hours. he asked to be relieved of de-
partmental matters, as he was un-
! able to think longer. i wrote a sum
mary Of the position he took, and
read il after cabinet meeting to Hous-
. ton and Wilson, who agreed. Ii fol
F! lows:
, If they the allie~) ask you tIhe
! PresidenD. Are You satisfied that
we can get terms that will be salts
| factory - US without unconditional
surrender?'
| You will answer. 'Tes-throuch the
| terms of the ;,rriliSiice-
; "By an armistice can You max 2
sure that all the fourteen PROPOSE
tons will he effectively sustained So
thai militarism and imperialism will
end?"
| Yes because we will be masters OF
the situation and viii remain in 4
position o. supremacy until Germany
puts into effect the fourteen propu-
sitions.
"Will that be las, ing 'ye:tce
1T will do everything thai cai. hc
done without crushing GERMANY and
wiping her out-ererythinS eXc.p. TO
CRAFTY revenge"