The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-11-19
LANE LETTER INTERESTING BUT
HISTORICAL VALUE RATHER


! Publication of the letters of Franklin
| Is. Lane, former secretary of the interior
| in President Wilson's cabinet, in which
| he severely criticized his chief has re-
suited In a whrlwind of comment, much
Of It partisan in cnaHacter. Editors gem
| orally assume that the Lane characteri-
| cations prove their own estimate Of the
| war president but there likewise is a
suggestion that, while the letters are
| most interesting they hardly could be
considered as calmly historical"
Every fact of the Wilson administra-
ton raises now" says the Harrisburg
Telegraph, (Rep) Ito plague those who
| sat in the sunshine of his favor. Mr..
Lanes Interpretation of what happened
| Is confirmed by the memoirs Of Secre-
| tary Lansing" The letters. in addition,
the Boston Transcript, Qnd. Rep.)
| holds, Simply strongly reinforce the evil
dence of appalling insensibility at the
seat of power to the crisis in which the
country lay. 1t was a new case of fid-
ding while Rome was burning" The
denial issued by Former Secretary of the
Navy Daniels, the New York Tribune,
Rep.), further asserts is not in accord
ancs with the Investigations of the SEN
ate naval affairs committee and it be-
lieves that Mr.. Daniels seems to have
countered on the record by drawing out
of his hat happy after thought amend
ment of it." And, so far as the declara
ton by Former Secretary of Commerce
Redfield, that Mr.. Lane was III and
wrote in private letters what he proba-
blY never would have written had he
any idea that they were to be published
without his revision is concerned the
Detroit Free Press, Und.), feels that
Brother Redfie1d is right-in part. The
former secretary is so unWittingly frank
that he gives us a special laugh. He
says the matter set forth should be
edited by which he means censored.
That is a natural state of mind for
typical member of the Wilson admins.
tration, but fortunately the Wilson adj
ministration is at an end. and different
methods are in vogue now" The Spring
field Union, Rep.), on its part. would
like to know whether, "if Mr.. Daniels
version, concurred in by Mr. Redfield. is
correct, how are the cablegrams" re-
jecting the convoy system to be ex
planned?
1t is the belief of the Savannah
Press. Dem.). that Mr.. Lane was i'm
patient because the President strove to-
keep the nation out Of the war and also
disappointed because he did not insist on
the war being continued until American
troops occupied Berlin, and that because
Of this. the diary was evidently written
in spirit Of pique set UP by himself
and to soothe his own injured feelings.
1t Is pity that his family imagined that
these memoranda will enlishten the
world" The Ohio State Journal tRep.),
on its part points out that sit is not
strange that President Wilson was iras-
chile in those dark days or that he was
slow to make UP his mind. His was the
responsibility and 1t was tremendous.
What history will record of Mr.. Wilson
as war president will not be the gossip
of disagreements with his cabinet or its
nervous fears that he was not rising to
the occasion. 1t will be that under his
masterful leadership in the greatest
crisis ever threatening the civilized
world and in the face Of difficulties ap-
parently insurmountable our young ar
mics splendidly eauirpeds reached France