Evening star., 1940-03-24
How Lansing Helped to Shape
War Policy Shown in Letters
Secretary May Have Been True Logician Behind
Participation, Not the Figurehead
He Has Been Supposed
By Richard L. Stokes,

Welles archives In 1865, may for the first
time learn the authentic reasons why
Franklin D. Roosevelt sought or refused
third term, and why the United tSates
entered or abstained from the second
World War.
Little Did the Voters Know.
1t will be remembered that in Novem-
Der, 1916, Wilson was re-elected on the
slogan: He kept us out Of war!" The
voters were far from dreaming that q
year earlier, in letter to the President,
Secretary Lansing calculated with scien-
tific coldness that American usefulness
in restoring peace would certainly not
be lessened by state of war between
this country and Germany, and it might
even be increased" It remains fairly
astonishing to read Wilson's matter-of-
fact reply Of August 26, 1915. II find"
he wrote of Lansing's view, that it runs
along very much the same lines as my
own thought"
Popular suffrage was responsible for
Wilson, but Lansing was a career diplo-
mat who had never run for office. Except
for his sagacity in choosing as father
in-law John w. Foster, who had been
Minister to Russia and Mexico and Sec.
retary OF State under Benjamin Harri.
son, Lansing might have died in the OBJ.
scurity Of law practice at Watertown,
N. Y. Under Fosters tutelage he became
so outstanding an expert in international
law that on March q, 1914, Wilson ap-
pointed him Counselor of the State De-
partment. He became Secretary ad in
terim on June 8, 1915, when Bryan Quit
the post rather than sign the second
Lusitania note; and served as full Secre-
tary Of State from June %, 1915, to
February 13, 1920.
Taking Papers q Protection.
On leaving the department, Lansing
took the unusual step of bearing away
not only his personal papers but quanti-
ties Of communications written by Will
son, Bryan Bernstorff, the principal
American Ambassadors to continental
powers and scores of other personages.
This act was made possible through the
Secretary's wartime precaution of keep
ing important documents in his own
Office instead of the departments general
files. The motive presumably rose from
the circumstances of his retirement.
He had vigorously opposed the Presi-
dents determination to attend the Peace
Conference as delegate, on the ground,
amply justified by events, that Wilson's 5
prestige would be fatally compromised.
Although he signed the Peace Treaty,
Lansing was hostile to the League Of Ma
tions, and was quoted at Senate hearings
by William c. Bulhtt, now Ambassador
to France, as having declared that the
treaty would unquestionably be defeated
If the American people could learn what
1t meant. Lansing's report was that
Bullitt not only betrayed a department
confidence but garbled what was said.
During his illness, Wilson's resentment
burst forth when he discovered that
Lansing, without consulting him, had
called meetings of the cabinet. 1t ap-
pears that the Secretary only carried
out resolution of his colleagues, who
desired to protect their ailing chief and
make some show that the Executive was
still functioning, out of dread the Con-
gress might declare the existence of q
vacancy in the presidential Office.
Papers Used in Book.
In letter of February II, 1920, con-
tanning strong implications of disloyalty,
Wilson brusquely demanded his resig-
nation. To safeguard his reputation
from this charge, it is thought, Lansing
placed his records beyond the reach Of
tampering or destruction by enemies.
Some of them, dealing with the Peace
Conference and his resignation, we're
utilized in defensive book THE Peace
Negotiations: A Personal Narrative, !"
which Lansing published in 1921. On
his death in 1928, the remaining papers
were restored to the State Department.
With the exception of a few documents
subpoenaed during the Ney munitions
investigation, the entire collection, COW
ering the six years, 1914-19, is now for
the first time made public.
The new papers totally acquit Wilson
and Lansing of Anglophilsm, should
any vestige of that ancient charge yet
cling to their skirts. Lansing figures