The Peace Negotiations

The Peace Negotiations

The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Peace Negotiations, by Robert Lansing
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Title: The Peace Negotiations
Author: Robert Lansing
Release Date: December 13, 2003 [eBook #10444]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS***
E-text prepared by Jonathan Ingram, Debra Storr, and Prooject Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders

THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS
A PERSONAL NARRATIVE
BY ROBERT LANSING
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS

CONTENTS
I. REASONS FOR WRITING A PERSONAL NARRATIVE
II. MR. WILSON'S PRESENCE AT THE PEACE CONFERENCE
III. GENERAL PLAN FOR A LEAGUE OF NATIONS
IV. SUBSTITUTE ARTICLES PROPOSED
V. THE AFFIRMATIVE GUARANTY AND BALANCE OF POWER
VI. THE PRESIDENT'S PLAN AND THE CECIL PLAN
VII. SELF-DETERMINATION
VIII. THE CONFERENCE OF JANUARY 10, 1919
IX. A RESOLUTION INSTEAD OF THE COVENANT
X. THE GUARANTY IN THE REVISED COVENANT
XI. INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION
XII. REPORT OF COMMISSION ON LEAGUE OF NATIONS
XIII. THE SYSTEM OF MANDATES
XIV. DIFFERENCES AS TO THE LEAGUE RECAPITULATED
XV. THE PROPOSED TREATY WITH FRANCE
XVI. LACK OF AN AMERICAN PROGRAMME
XVII. SECRET DIPLOMACY
XVIII. THE SHANTUNG SETTLEMENT
XIX. THE BULLITT AFFAIR
CONCLUSION
APPENDICES
I. THE PRESIDENT'S ORIGINAL DRAFT OF THE COVENANT OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS, LAID BEFORE THE AMERICAN COMMISSION ON JANUARY 10, 1919
II. LEAGUE OF NATIONS PLAN OF LORD ROBERT CECIL
III. THE COVENANT OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS IN THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES
IV. THE FOURTEEN POINTS
V. PRINCIPLES DECLARED BY PRESIDENT WILSON IN HIS ADDRESS OF FEBRUARY 11, 1918
VI. THE ARTICLES OF THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES RELATING TO SHANTUNG
INDEX

ILLUSTRATIONS
THE AMERICAN PEACE DELEGATION AT PARIS Photograph by Signal Corps, U.S.A.
FACSIMILE OF MR. LANSING'S COMMISSION AS A COMMISSIONER PLENIPOTENTIARY TO NEGOTIATE PEACE
THE RUE ROYALE ON THE ARRIVAL OF PRESIDENT WILSON ON DECEMBER 14, 1918 Photograph by Signal Corps, U.S.A.
THE AMERICAN PEACE DELEGATION AND STAFF Photograph by Signal Corps, U.S.A.
A MEETING AT THE QUAI D'ORSAY AFTER PRESIDENT WILSON'S DEPARTURE FROM PARIS
FACSIMILE OF MR. LANSING'S "FULL POWERS" TO NEGOTIATE A TREATY OF ASSISTANCE TO FRANCE
THE DAILY CONFERENCE OF THE AMERICAN PEACE COMMISSION Photograph by Isabey, Paris

CHRONOLOGY
The Declaration of the Fourteen Points January 18, 1918
Declaration of Four Additional Bases of Peace February 11, 1918
Departure of Colonel House for Paris to represent the President on Supreme War Council October 17, 1918
Signature of Armistice, 5 A.M.; effective, 11 A.M. November 11, 1918
Departure of President and American Commission for France December 4, 1918
Arrival of President and American Commission in Paris December 14, 1918
Meeting of Supreme War Council January 12, 1919
First Plenary Session of Peace Conference January 25, 1919
Plenary Session at which Report on the League of Nations was Submitted February 14, 1919
Departure of President from Paris for United States February 14, 1919
President lands at Boston February 24, 1919
Departure of President from New York for France March 5, 1919
President arrives in Paris March 14, 1919
Organization of Council of Four About March 24, 1919
President's public statement in regard to Fiume April 23, 1919
Adoption of Commission's Report on League of Nations by the Conference April 28, 1919
The Shantung Settlement April 30, 1919
Delivery of the Peace Treaty to the German Plenipotentiaries May 7, 1919
Signing of Treaty of Versailles June 28, 1919
Signing of Treaty of Assistance with France June 28, 1919
Departure of President for the United States June 28, 1919
Departure of Mr. Lansing from Paris for United States July 12, 1919
Hearing of Mr. Lansing before Senate Committee on Foreign Relations August 6, 1919
Conference of Senate Committee on Foreign Relations with the President at the White House August 19, 1919
Hearing of Mr. Bullitt before Senate Committee on Foreign Relations September 12, 1919
Return of President to Washington from tour of West September 28, 1919
Resignation of Mr. Lansing as Secretary of State February 13, 1920

CHAPTER I
REASONS FOR WRITING A PERSONAL NARRATIVE
"While we were still in Paris, I felt, and have felt increasingly ever since, that you accepted my guidance and direction on questions with regard to which I had to instruct you only with increasing reluctance....
"... I must say that it would relieve me of embarrassment, Mr. Secretary, the embarrassment of feeling your reluctance and divergence of judgment, if you would give your present office up and afford me an opportunity to select some one whose mind would more willingly go along with mine."
These words are taken from the letter which President Wilson wrote to me on February 11, 1920. On the following day I tendered my resignation as Secretary of State by a letter, in which I said:
"Ever since January, 1919, I have been conscious of the fact that you no longer were disposed to welcome my advice in matters pertaining to the negotiations in Paris, to our foreign service, or to international affairs in general. Holding these views I would, if I had consulted my personal inclination alone, have resigned as Secretary of State and as a Commissioner to Negotiate Peace. I felt, however, that such a step