Evening star., 1940-03-24

The State Departments recent pub
lication Of Robert Lansings confidential
correspondence, In two volumes of 1853
pages, has provided parallel to the tale
Of Arabian magic In which a bottled
dwarf becomes djinn towering sky high.
Thanks to general belief that he was q
mere mouthpiece Of Woodrow Wilson,
Lansing for 20 years has been sloping
toward oblivion. Suddenly the question
now looms as to whether he did not actu-
ally perform much Of Wilson's advance
thinking, and serve as the true theorist
and logician Of Americas entrance into
the World War.
An encyclopedia bearing the name Of
Columbia University contends that evil
son gave Lansing little freedom in the
negotiations leading up to the declaration
Of war against Germany" According to
the Dictionary Of American Biography,
Lansing had little real opportunity to
exhibit his ability in an independent
fashion" "Since Wilson decides every-
thing" wrote the German Ambassador,
Count Johann Won Bernstorff, "any inter-
view with Lansing is mere formality."
Lansing Sowed the Seeds.
The documentsnewly published sustain
Bernstorf In the assurance that Woodrow
Wilson in general made his own decisions.
The President figures more than once as
restraining a passionate impetuosity
which Lansing hid beneath professional
mask no less glacial than that of Welles
Yet. for all the pride of great stylist, the
master submits meekly again and again
to the servants emendation Of state
papers. and constantly presses him to
think out ideas which ocurred to his own
mind in embryo. Beyond all else, persua-
sive testimony abounds that as often as
not Wilson took his decisions in accord
ance with arguments and opinions al
ready sowed in his judgment by this
astute adviser.
1t appears certain, for instance, that
Lansing anticipated his chief in formu-
lating the principles underlying the ad-
ministrations fateful attitude on SUBJ
marine warfare. AS early at April 2, 1915,
when William Jennings Bryan was Secre-
tary OF State and Lansing was counselor
We find him reasoning on paper that an
American taking passage on belligerent
merchant vessel is entitled to expect that
enemy war craft will conform to estab-
lished rules of visit and search and of
protection for non-combatants Two
months later the counselor is arguing,
pen In hand. that citizens Of neutral
countries are entitled to traverse the high
seas In merchant vessels Of any nation
atty; that 1t is their right to be placed
IN safety before such vessels are de-
stroyed, and that to sink merchant ship
without safeguarding the lives Of persons
on board Is illegal and inhuman.
Germany on . Dilemma.
From these premises he visibly goes on
to forge a chain of ratiocination which
eliminates in transfixing Germany upon
a dilemma, the alternatives being war
with the United States or else total re-
nunciation of the undersea boat as a
weapon against commerce, belligerent
and neutral. To that hard choice, the
correspondence reveals, Lansing forced
Bernstorf step by step in ruthless and
unf1agging onslaught which seems to
have astounded, intimidated and then
completely unnerved the imperial diplo-
mat.
That the syllogisms spun in his closet
had a way of becoming national policies
did not restrain Lansing from driving on
to ultimate conclusions. With the i'm.
placable logic of Calvin demonstrating
the depravity Of human nature, he came
finally to PROFOUND that it was illegal for
German submarine to attack any bel.
Igerent merchant vessel because of the
chance single American might be on
board; and that it was lawful self
defense if neutral merchant ships armed
themselves with naval guns and crews,
and opened fire on U-boats at sight.
incidentally, the papers provoke specu-
lation upon the journey OF Sumner
Welles to Europe's strategic capitals His
travels, doubtless, have occasioned q
similar deluge Of cablegrams, letters,
notes and memoranda, usually in code
and always shrouded in secrecy. There
is by analogy possibility that the rec
ords may not be fully disclosed to the
public till 20 or Is years have elapsed.
Students yet unborn, poring over the