New-York tribune., 1920-02-14
President Bases Demand
for Resignation on Sec
retary's Cabinet Confer
ences During His Illness
Bitter Feeling
Pervades Notes
Deposed Official Declares
He Would Have Left
Cabinet Long Ago but
for Effect on Treaty
By Carter Field

From, The Tribune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13.-Robert
Lansing has resigned as Secretary
Of State, at President Wilson's de-
mand. The resignation took effect
"at once" at the Presidents sugges-
ton.
The Presidents displeasure, as
disclosed in series of letters made
public tonight, was based on two
things:
7-Mr. Lansing's attempt, as the
President sees it, to usurp Presi-
Dental authority during Mr.. Will
sons illness. The President cited
Mr.. Lansing's calling of Cabinet
meetings and also, as the President
puts it, "the number of matters in
which you have apparently tried to
forestall my judgment by formulat-
ing action and merely asking my ap-
proval when it was impossible for
me to form an independent judg-
ment because l had not had an op-
portunity to examine the circum-
stances with any degree of inde-
pendence."
Out of Sympathy With Wilson
2-The Presidents thought that
Mr.. Lansing was out of sympa-
thy with him and did his bidding re-
luctantly. The President puts it
this way: "While we were still in
Paris / felt, and have felt increas-
ingly ever since, that you accepted
my guidance and direction on ques-
tions With regard to which l had to
instruct you only with increasing
reluctance" The President adds
that he would like to make some ORC
Secretary of State whose mind
would more willingly go along with
mine"
The correspondence between the
President and Mr.. Lansing WAS
made public at the State Depart
ment tonight, together with brief
announcement of the resignation
and its acceptance. The news was
given out after a conference at the
White House between Secretary
Tumulty and Frank L. Polk, Under
Secretary of State.
Recalls Garrison Case
The news was the biggest surprise
Of its kind Washington has had
since Lindley NJ. Garrison resigned
as Secretary of War, and in many
ways was very similar, particularly
IN that the correspondence, showing
sharp feeling, was given out along
with the announcement of the resig-
nation.
The shock and surprise are increased
by the fact that the Presidents attack
on secretary Lansing for calling Cabi-
net meetings is regarded as a direct
slap at every member of the Cabinet
who attended, also at Vice President
Marshall, who sat in at two or three
OF the Cabinet meetings.
The Presidents first letter was dated
last Saturday, and inquired of MIR.
Lansing, if it were true. "as have
been told, that during my illness YOU
have frequently called the heads Of
the executive departments of the gov
ernment into conference" He said
that under constitutional law and
practice np one but the President had
the right to do this, and further that
no one but the President and Congress
had the right to ask "their views or
the views of any one of them on any
public question"
Denies Usurpatfon
Mr.. Lansing replied with an admis-
sion that he had called Cabinet meet
ings. AS q defense he urged that It
| was regarded as wise for the Cabinet
to discuss action which scouid not be
| postponed until your medical advisers
| permitted you to pass on thena." It
never entered his mind, he said. that
he was acting unconstitutionally or
contrary to the Presidents wishes. and
certainly there was no intention on
my part to assume powers and exercise
functions which under the Constitution
are exclusively confided TO the Presi-
dent" Mr.. Lansing at the close OF
this letter offered his resignation atl
any time the President might desire It,
On Wednesday the President replied,
expressing disappointment at Mr.. Lam