The Washington herald., 1919-12-21

ton would hate to lose the Lanes.
Though II sounds as though they
will be departing before many
moons, as Mr.. Lane says he wants to
get away as soon as the President
10 strong enough to be bothered
with his resignation, yet We are
thankful for every little delay that
will keep the Lanes In our midst .
while longer.
The Lanes are among the most
popular members Of President Will
sons Cabinet and have been more
active socially than most Of the
Cabinet families.
Mr.. Lane, probably the best-liked
man In the Wilson administration.
in both Republican and Democratic
environs, and often referred to as
the strong man. Of the Cabinet. is
to leave the Cabinet because he can
no longer continue In public life at
q personal sacrifice.
Mr.. Lane intended saying nothing
publicly on the subject until he had
an opportunity to consult the con-
venience Of President Wilson, for he
did not wish to make the transition
In the Department OF the Interior
difficult for a successor. nor did he
wish to hurry the President into
naming new Secretary Of the In
terror. But an unauthorized publica-
ton of story to the erect that
Mr.. Lane had already resigned led
him to issue a statement saying that.
while ne had not even written his
resignation. he did contemplate 60
ing out of the Cabinet.
SOCIETY FOND
OF r. X. LANES.
All sorts of stories have arisen
as to the reasons which prompted
Mr.. Lane to withdraw-reasons ex-
tending from an alleged difference
with President Wilson on the league OF
nations to a supposed dissatisfaction
with the handling of the coal stu
alton. Both stories are incorrect.
At bottom, the controlling reason
for Mr.. Lanes intended resignation
is a personal one-the old II. c. l..
again. The end OF his service in
the Wilson Cabinet would come with
in a year, at the end of the present
administration; but even If the DEM
ocrats were to be continued in power
it would not be likely that Mr.. Lane
would want to. stay in public office
any longer.
So he is in the same frame of mind
as members of other Cabinets have
been at the end Of an administration
was approached. T. w. Gregory and
w. C. Redfield decided to get into pri-
vate business. Secretary McAdoo felt
that the needs of his family were
such that he had to get out and make
some money. 1t will be remembered
that many a Cabinet officer has COM
planned that he could not stand the
pace in Washington on $4,000 a year
Mr.. Lanes resignation will be the
seventh in Mr.. Wilson's Cabinet since
he assumed the duties OF President
in March. 1918. The only original mem
bers remaining are Burleson. Daniels.
Houston and Wilson.
For Franklin Lane there Is really
no future in public life. He ran for
mayor of San Francisco and governor
Of California about a decade ago and
was corporation counsel of that city
for a number of years and was ap-
pointed to the Interstate Commerce
Commission by President Roosevelt
He resigned from the commission to
become Secretary of the Interior in
Mr.. Wilson's Cabinet. He Is the only
Democrat of prominence who can
truthfully say that men as opposite
as Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow
Wilson were his close friends. This
was because. while a Democrat Mr..
Lane has always been a progressive.
and it was his boast after the 1912
campaign that he carried to the Cabi-
net meetings of the Wilson admins
tration a copy Of the bull moose plat
form and when 1916 came he used to
he
der the first Wilson administration
many planks in that Roosevelt plat
form had been embodied into law or
recommended by the Wilson admins
tration.
When one says there il nothing fur
Their In public life for Franklin Lane
the natural thought is of elevation to
the Presidency. But Mr.. Lane was
born in Canada. near Charlottetown
Prince Edward Island. and Is ineligi-
bic. under the Constitution. for the
Presidential job. He could run for
United States Senator in California.
but there is little doubt that Mr.. Lane
believes he has reached the highest
point Of public service in the oppor-
tunities given him while a member Of
the Cabinet. He has been mentioned
for appointment as Associate Justice
Of the Supreme Court of the United
States. but there are no longer any
vacancies. He is the only Far West
ern member Of the Cabinet.
But Franklin Lane has often told
his friends that he would rather be
the editor of a chain of newspap ers
or of a prominent newspaper that car
ried influence in public affairs than
to be President of the United States,
even II he were eligible for that post.
Originally a newspaper editor in Ia
coma-he was part owner and editor
of the Tacoma Daily News-it Is said
that Mr.. Lane has never lost his news
instinct. His annual report recently