Evening star., 1918-11-27
PRESIDENT TO KEEP
RE|NS DURING TRIP
Attaches No Weight to View
That Executive Duties Go to
Vice President.

No weight is attached by President
Wilson to the argument of critics of
his plans for attending the peace con-
ference that upon crossing the sea he
loses the right to preform executive
duties and must allow them to de-
volve upon the Vice President.
It was said officially today that the
President will administer the duties
of his Office as completely aboard
ship and from Paris as if he were in
the United Statse. He holds that there
are no constitutional difficulties and
constant wireless and cable communi-
cation solves the physical problem.
Defines Vice Presidents Duty.
NEW YORK, November 27.-George
w. Wickersham. Attorney General in
the Taft administration, in an ad-
dress last night before more than a hun
dred educators. lawyers. bankers and
merchants engaged in international
trade who are members of the coun-
Gil on foreign relations. advanced the
opinion that the Constitution makes
it mandatory upon Vice President
Marshall to assume the Office of Pres
ident if Mr.. Wilson leaves the United
States to attend the peace confer
ence. He maintained that absence of
the President from the seat of gov
ernment and the country constitutes
an inability to discharge the powers
and duties of his Office" within the
meaning of the law.
Joint Resolution Suggested.
Some of the text writer's suggest
that a joint resolution Of Congress
should be adopted to set the Vice
President in motion; others that a
mandamus would lie to compel him to
act. The latter would be rather an
unsatisfactory remedy, because the
time required to bring the proceeding
might prevent the accomplishment OF
a necessary purpose.
THE Constitution" he concluded,
docs not provide who shall decide
when a disability occurs justifying
the Vice President in assuming to act
as President. If the Vice
President should assume to act and
should himself veto bill, and at the
expiration of ten days from the date
of it's passage no veto from the Presi-
dent himself in writing should have
been received, a question would arise
for the courts to determine as to the
powers of the Vice President to act
for the President.
THAT these questions in the past
never have arisen for actual decision
is tribute to the wisdom of our
Presidents in conforming with the
traditions of their great office, with
that unbroken custom which ripens
into law, and in not suffering the
whisperings of personal ambition to
lead them to depart from the paths of
accustomed action. thereby avoiding
the creation of new, uncertain and
perhaps dangerous questions of con-
stitutional right and power"
Address by John Barrett.
John Barrett. director general of
the Pan-American Union, another
speaker, suggested that the coming
peace conference can find inspiration
in the organization and record of the
union, which, he asserted, had "as
great league of twenty-one American
republics. been for many years
for peace and the development OF
good understanding, commerce and
trade"
Mr.. Barrett pointed out that since
the founding of the union in 1906
there had been no war between Amer
lean republics, and that '.its moral
influence undoubtedly has been the
effective preventive Of several pos
sible wars" Actual power to pre-
vent war on the western hemisphere
should be conferred on the union. he
said, ''by a brief international treaty
of all the American governments"
He declared the union to be the
prototype of the proposed universal
league of nations"
Statement by the Vice. President.
NEW YORK, November 27-Vice
President Thomas r. Marshall was
interviewed over the long-distance
night at the Copley-Plaza Hotel in
Boston with regard to George W.
Wickersham's opinion that. should
President Wilson, by going to Eu-
rope, put himself in a position where
he could not exercise any of his du-
ties, his powers and duties under the
Constitution would devolve upon the
Vice President
Mr.. Marshall is quoted as saying:
Il can say to you that not volun-
President of the United States. If
should become President during Mr..
Wilson's absence, unQuestionably that
would have to occur through some
judicial or legislative process. The
idea of its occurring through legisla-
not attempt to say now what I would
do if the two houses of Congress in
joint resolution should call upon me
to act. That is a responsibility that
would have to be met when it arose
and if it arose. The possibility of
judicial action is a different one. If
that should be taken and a court pos
sessed of jurisdiction should order
me to assume the presidency 1 GER
tainly would obey that court. and l
would assume and discharge the du-
ties of the presidency.
Supported Presidents Decision.
'1 have made no investigation of this
subject. I saw no reason to. The Presi-
dent decided it was right and proper
for him to go to the peace confer
ence. and I supported his decision
heartily and cordially. Most certainly
/ do not want his job while he is
away. That does not mean that l am
lodging responsibility. 1 am not If
the question should arise, I would
meet it squarely and accept whatever
responsibility was placed upon me. 1
am most reluctant to become involved
in any academic discussion of the
constitutional or other questions in
volved, because I am fearful that my
participation in such discussion
might give the President the impreS.