The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-10-25
AMERICAN WARCABINET
DESCRIBED LNIIlNA TEL Y
LNLETTERSMADEPUBLIC
Lane Correspondence
Tell How Wilson
Lost Patience and
Flayed Advisors.
(Bv Associated Pressl

bOSION, OCT. ga series O4 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 for the first time today.
The letters, written by the late Franklin
X. Lane, secretary Of the interior in the
cabinet Of President Wilson from 1913
to 1920, have been collected and edited
by his widow. Anne Wfntermute Lane,
and have been published by Houghton
Nufflin company. The volume is just
off press.
The correspondence reveals, among
other things, how the president fire.
,quently lost patience with the tremen
dous problems confronting him. and how
at other times, encouragement crowded
him to such an extent that he was
prompted to turn bitterly upon his ad-
visOrs when they failed to agree with
him.
Describe Wilson Attitude
The letters give description Of Mr..
Wilson's attitude on preparedness be-
fore America entered the war; tell how
he regarded the proposal to arm mer-
chant ships, describe his opposition TO
anything approaching the code duello''
spirit at time when the United States
was neutral and then. when great ques-
tions We're pressing for decision, tell how
he encouraged his cabinet to talk of
trivialities while he went along on his
own course 70 solve the huge problems
facing his admnistra ton
The president said he didn't wish to
see either side uin-for both had been
equally, indifferent TO the rights Of neu-
trails" Mr.. Lane wrote 70 his brother
on February II. 1917. commenting on
a particularly animated discussion.
Opposed Preparedness
On the subject Of preparedness. even
a few months before the United States
entered the war, Mr.. Lane quoted Pres
Idert Wilson as being mot in syrnpa
thy" Writing again to his brother Fed
ruary IS, 1917. Mr.. Lane said: "At our
dinner to the president last night he
said he was not in sympathy with any
great preparedness-that Europe would
be mad and n1oney-poor by the end Of
the war" Continuing. Mr.. Lane added
d le" OBSERVATIONS or his own.
The army and the navy are so set
for stereotyped and standpat that 7 am
almost hopeless as to moving them to
the wise, large and wholesome job" he
wrote.
They are governed by red tape worse
than any union. The chief OF staff faII
asleep at our meeting today Mars
and morpheus in one"
in 4n u
retary Lane wrote:
Most Animated Session
"On Friday we had one of tho ,ooS4
animated sessions Of the cabinet +tat
suppose has ever been held in this ~
any other presidents It all arose o1,t
Of very innocent question Of mine as
to whether it was true that Uiyes ~
American consufs. on leaving Germany
had been stripped naked. given an acid
bath, to detect acid writing on THAR
flesh and subjected to other iDdigni
ties.
Lansing answered that it was true.
Then asked Houston about the bread
riots in New York. This led to a dis
cussion Of the great problem which we
had all been afraid TO raise-whv should
we not send our ships out with
guns and conveys? Daniels said we
must not convoy that would be dang
erous. CThink of a secretary of the
navy telling Of danger). The president
said the country was not wiling that we
should take any risks Of war. l said
that I got so much sentiment out Of the
country. This the president took as a
suggestion that we should work up a
propaganda of hatred against Germany.
OF course. I said I had no such idea, but
felt that in a democracy. the people
We're entitled to know the facts. McA-
doc. Houston and Redfieid Joined me.
The president turned on them bitterly.
especially on McAdoo, and reproached
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. Hous-
ton talked Of resigning after the meet
ing AIcAdoo Will-within q year, I be-
leve."