The Washington herald., 1918-12-02
VICE PRESIDENT.
MAY BE CHIEF
Marshall to Act for Wilson
IN Absence, Holland
Thinks Possible.


fer of presidential authority TO the
Vice President while President VIII
son is absent in Europe. Vice Presi-
dent Marshall was reported to have
said for publication that he would
under no circumstances assume the
duties OF the presidential office ex-
cept in case OF the death or reslgna-
tlon OF the President. unless he re-
csived the decision Of a competent
court asserting his authority under
the Constitution for action or that
kind
These two statements. one made
by a Republican and a lawyer OF rec
Olsnised ability. and the other by the
Vice President himself, clearly in
dicate that public attention Is now
centered to some extent upon this I'M
pOrtant question.
Precedent Lacking.
Never has there been any precedent
by which action OF this kind might be
determined. When President William
Henry Harrison died within a month
after his Inauguration, the Vice Presi-
dent. John Tyler, assumed the duties
of the office. But there was much
discussion in Congress and out of it
respecting the precise relation the
Vice President bore to the presi-
dency. Many OF the able lawyers OF
that day were persuaded that Mr..
Tyler should be regarded as merely
acting President in virtue Of the
choice by the people of him as Vice
President. Tyler did not hesitate,
however, but assumed the duties and
title of President. and no contest was
ever made based upon his rights to
assume the title Of President as well
as the duties Of the office.
When President James A. Garfield
lay mOrtally i'll in the White House
Nm the summer of 1881, a question
rnilar to that which has been
.aised wds earnestly discussed by
the Cabinet, although not at that
time and not since was any infor-
nation given to the public of this
discussion. But one Of the members
of that Cabinet, the late Thomas L.
James. stated half Confidentially that
some of the members of the Cabinet
believed that the time would come
when the Vice President. Chester A
Arthur, should assume the duties Of
the presidential office That view
was taken because President Gar
field was utterly unable himself to
meet those duties. He was almost
mOribund for three months. Suppose
a question involving the granting
OF a pardon on the best reasons to
one sentenced to death were to be
raised. President Garfield could not
thus act Suppose a sudden and
dangerous emergency should arise.
He could not act
When the Vice President Gen.
Arthur. was informed Of these ear
nest discussions in the Cabinet he
oiused the Cabinet to be informed
that under no circumstances would
he assume the duties Of the Office
unless he received a positive man
date Of the Supreme Court. Fur
thermOre the courts should not be
approached unless a vitaIIy impor-
taut emergency arose. The Cabinet
might have held this question in
ab-yanc" had it not been for a re-
mark made by Wayne MacVeagh.
the Attorney General. He spoke in
his chara Cteristic curt and sumew hat
sarcastic way. saying. But if Ar
thur assumes the duties of the office
and becomes the President in fact
how are We ever to get him out Of
recover" In that " ay MacEeagI
put an end for a time to the sug-
gestion that Arthur he called to as
sumo the duties Of the President.
As no emergency did arise which
entaiIed the personal action Of the
President. the question was not
again discussed by the Cabinet.
Court Mandate Needed.
Mr. Wickersham's opinion. while it
may be good constitutional law. never
theless is to be Of no avail. since
Vice President Marshall asserts that
nothing but a mandate Of the court
will justify him, during President VIII
sons absence. in assuming the duties
Of the presidential ofdce. NCvertre-
less. this is regarded as among the
perplexinE questions which have arisen
since il is known that President VIII
son would go to Europe. None has
occasioned more discussion, especially
Snong lawyers. than this.
II was recently stated in this col
umn that Great Britain is TO receive
from the United States SO in payment
for the fransporta ton Of each Ameri-
can soldier across the sea in English
vessels II has later been learned that
while our own government Is willing
to pay as much as So for each soldier.
Great Britain has let it be known that
the feeling there Is that as much as
$50 should 70 paid on this accorint.
There has followed discussion, and. to
EOnle extent, bargaining, the United
States not yielding the point. Great
Britain not accepting ss5. The pre-
sumption is that by compromise some
cepted. This will mean a credit for
Great Britain against the credits she
has secured in this country. which,
IN the aggregate win amount to a
good many million dollars
Appeal to Secretary of War.
\ communication has recently been
sent to the Secretary Of War con-
tanning the view Of a number of in
fuentiaI citizens of New York and
earnestly asking that the War De-
partment take instant steps 10 sup
press incipiert BOlshevikism in New
York and other places. The attention
OF the Secretary Of War was called to
the fact that the United States and
our allies are attempting to suppress
the Bolsheviki in Russia, but the gov
ernment seems to be ignoring the at
tempt to spread these doctrines in
the United States and to stimulate
the spread at public meetings, at
which the red flag il displayed. So Il
was said that unless the author ties
and the government speedily suppress
this movement, by force il necess sary.
Il may grow, and iC it grows at all
Il will grow rapidly. There is hope
That the government will send troops
to New York, where BOIshevikism Is