The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-02-14
Lansing Thought He Was Supported
By Precedents.

Lansing Thought He Was Supported
BY Precedents.
The secretary of state, it should be
stated, believed he was supported by
precedent in calling the cabinet togeth-
er. Looking up the historical record he
found it had been done when President
Garfield lay i'll for weeks after having
been shot by an assassin, and that it
had been done before that when Pres
ident Taylor had long illness and ul
timately was succeeded by Vice Pres
ident Fillmore
The Wilson cabinet assembled the
first day with feeling of apprehen-
sion, for none of the members knew the
extent of the presidents illness, but
expected to be informed of it. Secre
tary Tumulty had informed the pres
ident that Mr.. Lansing had called the
cabinet together and the president,
somewhat disturbed, gave his personal
physician a message to deliver to the
secretaries.
The secretaries assembled at their
usual places that day and Mr.. Lansing
sent for DIR. Grayson. The presidents
chair at the head of the table was left
vacant until the physician arrived and
he was asked to occupy it,
"Dr Grayson." Secretary Lansing is
reported to have said by those who
were present, ''we wish to know the
nature and extent OF the presidents
illness and whether he is able to per
form the duties of his office, so that we
may determine what shall be done to
carry on the business of the govern
mcnt."
The presidents physician is quoted
by some of the other secretaries as hav-
ing replied in substance:
"The president is doing as we'll as
could be expected: he is in full posses
sion of all his faculties and he has di
rected me to inquire of you by what
authority this meeting of the cabinet
was called, what business is before it,
and what business it is expected might
be transacted at a cabinet meeting
without his participation.
According to the story told at the
time. Secretary Lansing had no oppor-
tunity to reply because some of the
other members stepped into the breach
and asked DR.. Grayson to say TO the
president that the only purpose of the
meeting was TO inquire the state Of his
health and TO send him a message of
loyalty and encouragement. At that
point the meeting broke up without
having transacted any business, but it
did not end the so-called cabinet con
ferences
1t has not been made plain whether
President Wilson knew since then that
the cabient members had been assem-
bling and talking over interdepart-
mental affairs, but the meetings have
'been held in the cabinet room in the
executive offices and if the president
did not know IL probably was because
those surrounding him did not think it
wise TO tell him
The best opinion of those con the
inside" is that the president did not
know until last week of the regularity
at which the cabinet was meeting at
the call of the secretary of state, be-
cause at about the time at which the
presidents first letter to Mr.. Lansing
is dated. the White House officers "let
il be known that the president had
ended the cabinet conferences aud there
was an inference that he might preside
at the next one himself. There was,
however. no hint that the ending of
the meetings marked a separation be
tween Mr. Wilson and Mr. Lansing.
Now that the break has come and
Mr.. Lansing has left the cabinet, much
NAV be revealed Of the extent TO which
the secretary Of state and the president
differed in matters Of policy. Quite
aside from the differences at the peace
conference. there were other differences
in foreign policy. and some Of Mr.. Ian
sings friends say he would have left
his oiIicc some time ago but for the
lr,.rtir,,od ON eirhth narel