The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1918-11-29

DISCUSS QUESTION
AS to Whether President Will
son Can Retain His Official
Status and Power
WHILE ON FOREIGN LAND

New Work, Nov. 29.--Noted law
yers of this city yesterday comment
ed on the speech of ex-Attorney
General George w. Wickersham, de-
lievered at the dinner on Tuesday
night of the Council on Foreign Re-
lations, in which he discussed the le-
gal questions involved in the Presi-
dents proposed journey to Europe
and raised the issue involved in the
Presidents proposed journey to Eu-
rope and raised the issue whether
Vice President Marshall would not
have to assume the Presidential Of
flee in Mr.. Wilson's absence from
the country.
They also commented on the in
terview with Vice President Mar
shal, published in The New York
Times of yesterday. in which he dis
cussed his relation to the Presidency
in Mr.. Wilson's proposed absence
from the country, and said that he
"unquestionably would assume the
Presidency of the United States and
exercises the duties of that office il
court having jurisdiction directed
me to doso."
While Louis Marshall and Samuel
Untermyer held that there was no
constitutional barrier to the Presi
dents trip and Henry W. Taft main
tanned that the courts were very
conservative in dealing with a polit-
ical question, Archibald r. Watson,
former Corporation Counsel of the
city. brought up the point that un-l
der a law of 1880 the Dls,rlct of
Columbia was fixed as the seat of
Government after the first Monday
in December in 1900, and President
Wilson, ceases to be President ex-
cept in name, when he lands in for
eign shores" AS the law of 1890,
Mr.. Watson said, provided that "all
officers attached 20 the seat of gov
ernment shall. be exercised in ths
District of Columbia and not elese-
where"
The law cited ~ Mr.. Watson is
Chapter XVIII, of Acts passed at
the second session of the Congress
of the United States OF America. be
gun and held al the City of New
York, on Monday, the Fourth If
January, in the year MDCCXC. =
Section provides:
That on the said first Monday in
December, in the year one thousand
eight hundred, the seat of the Gov
ernment of the United States shall
by virtue of this act, be transferred
to the district (of Columbia) and
place Washington aforesaid: And
all Offices attached to the said seat
of Government shall, accordingly, be
removed thereto by their respective
holders, and shall, after the sale
day, cease to be exercised else
where; and that the necessary ca
pense of such removal shall be de-
frayed out of the duties on Imports
and tonnage, Of which a sufficient
sum Is hereby appropriated
Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg,
Speaker Of the House of Repre-
sentatives.
John Adams,
Vice President of the United
States and President of the Senate.
Approved July the sixteenth, 1890
George Washington,
President OF the United States.
In his comment on the law, Mr.
Watson said Il should say that
some uncertainty. if not confusion,
exists In the minds of some of those
who have discussed the legal effect
Of the Presidents contemplated abb
sence from the country in connec-
tion especially with the devolution
of his powers ami duties by reason
of failure to consider the Act of
Congress Of July 16, 1890. This
act fixes the permanent seat OF gov
ernment on and after the first Mon
day in December, 1900 in the Dis
trict of Columbia and provides ex-
pressly that all Offices attached to
the seat of government shall be ex-
ercised in the District of Columbia
and not elsewhere.
President Wilson, therefore, cea-
ses to be president, except in name,
when he lands on foreign shores.
He can certainly exercise no official
powers or functions by correspond