FRANKLIN K. LANE

To James H. Hawley

Washington, November 9, 1918

My dear Governor,—...  To my great surprise we have lost both Houses.  We felt sure that we would carry both, and did not appreciate the extent to which the Republicans would be consolidated by the President’s letter, which, from what I hear was one of the inducing causes of the result; although not by any means the only one, for the feeling in the North and West was strong that the South in some way was being preferred.  I am fresh from a talk with Senator Phelan who, to my surprise, tells me that these were the factors in the New England States from which he has just come. ...

The Wilson administration may be judged by the great things that it has done—­the unparallelled things—­and the election of last Tuesday will get but a line in the history of this period, while the Versailles conference and the Fourteen Points of Wilson’s message will have books written about them for a century to come.  Cordially yours,

FRANKLIN K. LANE

To Samuel G. Blythe London, England

Washington, November 13, 1918

My dear Sam,—­I had not seen the review of my little book of speeches [Footnote:  The American Spirit.] made by the Daily Mail until you sent it to me.  I guess we are a nation of idealists and it won’t do any harm to have a little of this leaven thrown into the European lump.  I am amused when I read the reviews on this book to see myself regarded as the rather imaginative interpreter of the national attitude, after these twenty years of quiet, stiff legal opinions on municipal law and rail-road problems.

Glad to hear of the boy!  He is a poor correspondent, as most two-fisted young chaps are apt to be.  I envy you your opportunity now to see the revolution in Germany, and it? possible spreading elsewhere.  I think you might write an I article on how revolution comes to a country; a picture of just how the thing happens; what the first step was; what kind of organization there was and how they went about their business and got hold of the Government.  There is I a whole book in this, but immediately there is a chance for a couple of mighty interesting articles.

Here we have gone wild over the victory and peace, and the fact that the election went against us means nothing, so far as international questions are concerned.  We had not fixed the price on cotton while we had fixed the price on wheat, and that made the North feel that this is a Southern Administration.  The Republicans were united for the first time in ten years.  These are the big reasons for the shift.  You see we have no idea here of Cabinet responsibility or votes of confidence or lack of confidence.  I expect there will be some fun in Congress for the next two years.  As always, cordially yours,