The Washington herald., 1913-10-12
WILSON BREAKS
OLD PRECEDENT
Regular Cabinet Meetings
Seem to Be a Thing of
the Past.
MEMBERS CONFER SINGLY
President, Except on Matters of Great
Importance, Prefers Indi-
vidual Views.


time-honored as that which has led his
predecessors to send their messages to
Congress in writing. He has discarded
the custom of summoning his Cabinet Of
1icers into those regularly recurring con-
ferences known as Cabinet meetings.
President Wilson's Cabinet has not met
since July Is. In the meantime the Cabi-
net as a body constituted TO counsel with
the President and with one another on
matters pertaining TO a common policy
and TO the executive departments, has
practically ceased TO exist. Cabinet on
GERS have become merely the heads Of
executive departments, TO be summoned
into consultation by the President on mat
ters within their own bailiwick or indi-
vidualIy on the admInislration's policies,
whenever Mr. Wilson saw III.
In this period, when the President was
facing many of the most important prob
lens that his administration will be called
upon to handle, Mr.. Wilson has been con-
tent to shoulder the full responsibility for
executive action. or course, Secretary
OF State Bryan was consulted when the
Mexican policy was being formulated.
and Mr.. MCAdoo when the currency bill
was being launched. But the President
has apparently decided upon his course
In these matters without summOning to
the Cabinet room for purposes OF common
counsel the men whom he has chosen to
act in that capacity.
No Resumption Soon.
Furthermore, II was learned yesterday
that the President has no intention OF re-
suming in the immediate future the regu-
lar semi-weekly Cabinet sittngs. When
Mr.. Wilson announced his determination
in April TO read to joint session of
the House and Senate his message calling
nf tariff hare
were deeply interested in the passing Of
custom that had been handed down
since the days OF Thomas Jefferson. Soon
thereafter Mr.. Wilson went to the Presi-
dents room on the Senate side OF the
Capitol TO confer with members of the
Upper House on the tariff and patronage
matters.
This second move. although like the
first. based upon examples in the early
days OF the republic, was almost as wide
ly discussed as the first
The most improbable predictions as to
the Presidents future course in the con-
duct of his Office did not, however, con-
template the breaking Of any precedents
that have been established back OF
Thomas JefTerson's days in the White
House
The custom OF holding regular Cabinet
meetings, however. began with the swear
General. whose Offices were Gre
ated by Congress in the early days of
President Washington's first term. The
custom had flourished since then and no
one apparently dreamed that this, like
the two other customs, was to take its
place in the closet Of cast-oT things which
President Wilson has established, to
make room for the new ideas in the
OF the executive affairs at
In the early part OF July the Wilson
Cabinet failed TO assemble twice on the
Tuesday and Friday set apart for these
at the White House.
On one occasion, Secretary OF State
Bryan was absent from the Capital, and
on the other the President himself was
at Cornish, y. II, on a brief vacation.
After his return. the regular semi-weekly
were held until July ..
sfnEI. Conferences Preferred.
Inquiries at the White House in the
week succeeding this date brought the
that the President found it
convenient to confer with the members
Df the Cabinet singly on matters relating
10 their departments. At one time or an
other one or several members would be
away from Washington on official or per
sonal business, and instead OF holding a |
session with an incomplete circle, ii was I.
decided not to hold any at all It was |
however, that the custom /
would not be suspended for long, and that /
as soon as most of the members could |
be assembled again. the regular sittings |
would be resumed.
As time went by most OF the Cabinet |
returned from their official trips, |
Dr vacations, but still the opportunities |
-or obtaining their collective Judgment or .
Tor submitting TO them as a body the |
decisions which the President was about |
10 formulate into policies were passed
,ver.
In the period that has now elapsed
without a Cabinet meeting, many impoT-
ant points in regard to the currency and
he tariff bill have been settled. The
ariff legislation is on the statute books
II fact. and the Mexican situation, which
$ the most acute matter OF foreign policy
hat the United States has had on its
lands for several years, has been dealt
With.
President Wilson's manner of handling
he Mexican situation perhaps affords the
,est possible comparison between his own
md the attitude of other Presidents to-
ward the Cabinet. President Wilson con-
eived the idea of sending former Gov.
Tohn Lind to Mexico City on his mission
Il mediation, discussed IL with Secretary
Il State Bryan and any other advisers
whose views he thought might be avail
ble. and dispatched the special envoy
Without attempting to ssemble his official
amily. Later he thought il wise TO de-
iver a message to Congress on the MeXi-
an situation and to adopt a radically
ew program for enforcing the neutrality
avs but still the Cabinet as a whole
vas not summoned together.
Taft Method Different.
President Tafts relationship with his
'abinet when the Mexican situation was
cute was entirely different He not only
eld the regular semi-weekly conferences,
lhenever it was possible, but more than
nee summoned the members into extra
meetings and took no important
teps without first ascertaining their COM
ION judgment.
The Wilson Cabinet will hold a reunion
ext Tuesday, which is Cabinet day. TheT
filI meet then for the first time since
uly.
II is understood, however, that next
tuesdays meeting Is not to mark the
esumption of the regular semi-weekly !
essions. It is said that the President
ill continue for an indefinite period to
leet his Cabinet only at such times as
e feels that il is necessary. 1t is under :
TODD that the President believes that
his method will be a great time-saver,
nd that he can accomplish more through
ersonal interviews with his advisers.
The lapsing of the regular Cabinet ses-
ons is of course entirely within the Pres I
r-ko CahFpat ga |