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Show SECRETS OF U7S WAR CABINET I REVEALED IN LANE'S LETTERS , Late Secretary of the Interior Pictures Wilson Trying to Run Nation By Himself Until Forced to Ask Advice, in Submarine Crisis. BOSTON, Oct. 24. (By the Assn-elated Assn-elated Press.) A series of hixtory-making hixtory-making letters, describing In detail, the American cabinet and giving an Intimate picture of Wboflrdw Wilson ns ho appeared wh!!e presiding over the secret meetings of Ills official i imlly, i-: made publli The letters, written by the Into II-"? Franklin ic. Band secretary nf the Interior in the cabinet of President Wilson from 1913 to 1920, have been collected and edited by his widow, I Ann Wlnlermute l..inc ami have born published by Houhfton Mifflin company. com-pany. The volume is Just off the press. TRIVIA LI II is TO ARGUE. The correspondence reveals, among other things, how the president frequently fre-quently lost patience with the tremendous tre-mendous problems confronting him. and how at other limes discouragement discourage-ment crowded him to such n degree that he was prompted to turn bitterly upon his advisers when they failed to agree with him The letters give a description of Mr. Wilson's attitude on preparedness before be-fore America entered the war. tell how he regarded the proposal to arm I merchant ships, describe his opposition opposi-tion to anything approaching the "code duello'" spirit at a time when tho United States was neutral, and then, when great Questions were ipresslng for decision, tell how ho encouraged en-couraged his cabinet to talk of trivialities trivi-alities while lie went along on his own counsel to solve the huge problems prob-lems facing hie administration. "The prcsldcm said he didn't wish to see either side uin for both had been equally Indifferent to tho rights of neutrals," Mr. La.no wrote to his brother on February 17 1017. commenting com-menting on a particularly animated cainet discussion SAPS r Ml. I TIXG. On tho subject of preparedness, even a few months before the United Mates entered tho war, Mr. Lane quo:ed President Wilson a being "t.ot in sympathv." Writing again to his brother. February It, 1917, Mr Lane said "At our dinner to the president (last night he said he was not In sym-jpathy sym-jpathy with any great preparedness that Europe would be mad and money-Ipoor money-Ipoor by the end of tue war " Contlnu-ing. Contlnu-ing. Mr Iane added a few observations observa-tions of his own. . 'Tho army and the navy arc so set and stereotyped and stand-pat that I J am almost hopeless as to moving I thorn to tho wise, large and wholesomo Job," he wrote "They are governed by red tape worse than any union The chief of staff fell asleep at our 'meeting today. Mars and Morpheus in one. ' WOMEN 51 RIPP1 lv ! l Again to his brother. February 25, Secretary Lane wrote; "On Friday wo had one of the most animated session? of the cabinet that T suppose has ever been held under this or any other president. It all ; arose out of a very Innocent Question of mine aH to whether It was true that the wives of American consult o. lraiiig Germany bad been r.trlppei naked, given an acid bath to detei t; writing on their flesh, and subjected,' to other Indignities. "Lansing answered that It wasj true Then 1 asked Houston about the, bread riots In New York. This led to n discussion of the great problem! , which we all bad been afraid to raise why shouldn't we 6end our! hipfl on; with gun and convoys.'. Daniels said we must not convoy thai would be dangerous. (Think of a secretary of the navy telling or dan-! ger!) The presid' nt said the country) was not willing that we should take any risks of war l said tfTui 1 got no j such sentiment out of the country, i ;Thls the president took as a sugges-1 jtlon that we should work up a propaganda propa-ganda of hat n il against Germany. Of course. T said 1 had no such Idea, but I felt that In a democracy the (people Were entitled to know th- fails. McAdoO, Houston and ttedfield Joined1 I mo. The president turned o-. them bitterly, especially on McAdoo. and I reproached all of us with appealing toj tho spirit of the code duello.' We .couldn't get the idea out of his head .that wo were bent on pushing the country Into war. Houston talked of resigning after I be meeting. McAdoo 'will within a year, I believe, l tried I j to nniooth them down by recalling! our past experiences with the president. presi-dent. We have had to push and push 'to get him to take any forward step. I He comes out right but ho is slower! than a glacier--and things are mighty disagreeable whenever anything has ' . to- be done." DAILY IXI DENTS. In addition to his voluminous correspondent corre-spondent e, which included letters to Vlrtualy every ierson of importance I In the United States, Mr. Lane made i many notes on Incidents oceurring In ihis daily life. Among theso were copious comments on the cabinet , me. ting-. In one of these notes, dated March 1. 1913. ho said; " Yesterday, at cabinet meeting, we had the fir. real talk of war in weeks, yes. In months. TUirlcson brought up the question of Russia would we support Japan in taking Siberia, or even Vladivostok" Should wo Join Japan actively in force? 'The president said 'no,' for thiil verj practical reason that we had no1 ships. We had difficulty In providing, for our men In Frame and for our alllf-s. (The president never uses this word, sayirg that we are not allies i" In a note dated March 1-'. 1919 S". , r :.wy Kane wrote; "Nothing talked of at cabinet that would intercut i nation, a family, or a child. No talk of war. No talk of Russia or Jopan. Talk by McAdoo about some bills in congress, by the n n t in --- - .. president about t;ilng the veterans ol the Spanish war leave, with pay tc attend their annual encampment. AnJ ho treated this seriously, us If It were a matter of first Importance." INK ED To Mv IDVK 1 "Yrsterd.iy had a rabtrn l n.. ' ing," ho wrote under date of Octobei 1518. "All were present. The president pres-ident was manifestly disturbed. For some weeks wo have spent our time at cabinet meetings targoly In telling stories. Uven at tho meeting of a week ago, the day on which tin- president presi-dent sent his reply to Germany his second note of the 'Paris series were given no view ot the nolo, which was already In Lansing's hands and was emitted at 4 0 lock. Germany f.:me back with an acceptanr"1 -.f tho presidenl'a terms a superficial acceptance ac-ceptance t least .ilncc the appeal to th,0 cabinet yesterday. 'This was his opening: I do not know what to do. 1 must ask your advice I may have made a mistake In not properly safeguarding what 1 r.ald before. What do you think should be done'.'' 'This genera query was followed by a long idli-me, Which I brok.- by say-Ihg say-Ihg that Germany would do anything h said, "'What 9h6uld I say"' he asked "That we wojld not treat until Germany was across the Rhin "This he thoueht impossible." hAXE DISI mi RAGBO Mr, Lane himself beramo discouraged discour-aged at times. On January 19. lt:'0, 1." wrote- "The whole, world Is fikew-jce, awry, distorted and altogether perverse. The president is broken in body and obstinate ob-stinate In spirit, lilnsteln has declared I he law of gravitation outRrown und decadent Drink, consoling friend of R perturbed world, is shut off; and all goes merry as a dance In hell." oo |