Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-11-27

DcCduSe tIc pTcSlueIlt pIeSeIlCe IS essential.
 New York, Nov 26-=George w. Wickersham, attorney general in the Taft administration, in an address here tonight before more than q hun dred educators, lawyers, bankers and merchants, engaged in international trade who are members of the council on foreign relations, advanced the opinion that the constitution makes it mandatory upon vice president Mar shall to assume office of President if Mir. Wilson leaves the United States to attend the peace conference.
 '"The projected journey 0 fthe Presi- dent to France and his suggested so- journ there for an indefinite period" said Mir. Wickersham, brings up for the first time in our history the ques- ton of the effect of such absence and of the powers of the vice president be- cause of such absence
 The former attorney general quoted section one of article two fthe Uni ted States constitution which he said, prescribed the mode of procedure in event of the presidents removal from office, his death, resignation or inabil ity to discharge the duties of said of flee. He maintained that absence of the president from the seat of govern mcnt and country, constitutes an in- ability to discharge the powers and duties of his office," within the mean ing of the law.
 Accorting to Mir. Wickersham, the two most important functions the president has to perform in connection with q sessOn of congress at which time he held, "it is the presidents duty to be at the seat of government" was:
 First, from time to time, to give to congress information of the state of the unoin, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient," and second, "to consider bills which shall have passed the house and sen ate, and he approve, to sign them, and if he disapprove, to veto them"
 The ten days provided by the law wherein the president must return bill or it automatically becomes law, according to Mr. Wickersham, was in- tended "tO give citizens interested in the bill an opportunity of communicate ng their views to him"
 Thus the president, he contended, is expected always to be in a position to feel the pulse of public sentiment" and If he is not within the country, he cannot, fitly discharge those dul ties"
 A third consideration, the speaker continued, Subsidiary to the others but none the less important, "is- in reference to the. exercise by the presi- dent of function in connection with legislation. In case of disagreement between the two houses at to time of adjournment, he said the president may adjourn them to such times as he shall think proper. This power. he admitted, has never been exercised in the past because the president has al- ways at the seat of government when congress was in session, "and able to avert by friendly counsel and suggest ion, the necessity of exercising"
 Mir Wickersham in these points, de- clared the absence of the president in Europe would constitute an inability to discharge the powers and duties of his office."
 'The constitution, he concluded, does AOJ plOVlOc WuO SIdll ucCtuC Wucu q disability occurs, justifying the vice president in assuming to act veto a bill andsat the expiration of ten days from the date of it's passage, no veto from the president himself in writing should have been received, question would arise for the courts to determ- inc as to the powers of the vice presf. dent 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 tar ditions of their great office, with the unbroken custom which ripens into law, and is not suffering the whisper ings of personal ambition to lead them to depart from the paths of accustom- ed action thereby avoiding. the crea tion of new, uncertan and perhaps dangerous questions of constitutional right and power"