Omaha daily bee., 1920-02-14
Climax of Peace Conference
Clash Reached When Wilson
Attacks Adviser for Having
Called Cabinet Meetings.
BREACH ALSO WIDENED
BY NOTE TO CARRANZA
Conferences in Controversy
Discussed Coal Strike Settle
ment and Results Were Re-
ported to Executive.

w dolililS tOI, II u. lo.--
Robert Lansing ended his ca
reer as secretary of state to-
day after President Wilson
had accused him of usurping
the powers of president by
calling meetings of the cabinet
during Mr.. Wilson's illness.
Mr.. Lansing denied that he
had sought or intended to
usurp the presidential author
lty. He added, however. that
he believed then and still be-
lieves that the cabinet confer
ences were "for the best inter-
ests of the republic" that they
were proper and necessary"
because of the presidents con-
dltlon and that he would have
been derelict in his duty if he
had failed to act as he did.
Follows Sharp Note.
AS the record stands Mr.. Lansing
rendered his resignation and Mr..
Wilson accepted it. The resignation
was offered, however. only after the
president. under date of February I
had written asking if it were true
that Mr.. Lansing had called cabinet
meetings and stating that if such
were the case he felt it necessary 70
say that under our constitutional
law and practice, as developed hith-
erto, no one but the president has
the right to summon the heads of
the executive departments into con-
ference"
Questioned His Loyalty"
Mr. Lansing answered two days
later-last Monday-saying he had
called the cabinet conferences be-
cause he and others of the presi-
dents official family "felt that. in
view of the fact that we were denied
communication with you, it was
wiser tor US to confer informally to-
gether on * matters as to which
acton could not be postponed un-
til your medical advisers permitted
you to pass upon them"
The secretary concluded by saw
ing that if the president believed he
had failed in his '1oyaltv" to him
and if Mr.. Wilson no longer had
confidence in him he was ready to
",relleve you of any embarrassment
by placing my resignation in your
hands"
Resignation Is Desired.
The president replied last Wednes-
day that he was much disappoint-
ed" by Mr.. Lansing's letter regard
ing the So-called cabinet meetings"
He said he found nothing in the sec
retarys letter (which justifies your
assumption OF presidential authority
IN such a matter and added that he
must frankly take advantage OF
your kind suggestion" to resign.
Il must say" continued the presi-
dent. that it would relieve me of
embarrassment. Mr.. Secretary, the
embarrassment of feeling your re-
luctance and divergence of judg
ment, if You would give up your
present office and afford me an op-
portunity to select some one else
whose mind would more willingly
go along with mine"
Before this letter was written. the
day for the regular cabinet meeting
last Tuesday-had passed and the
correspondence discloseS why the
cabinet did not meet. On the same
day that he received this letter from
the president. Mr.. Lansing an
nounced that he had written other
cabinet officers that he would not call
any more cabinet conferences for the
present. but no explanation was Of
tered. Inquiry at the White House
brought only the statement that Mr..
Wilson himself probably would call
and preside at the next session of his
official advisers.
Differences In Paris.
But the differences between the
president long pre-dated the first
cabinet call by Mr.. Lansing, which
was issued last October S, seven davs
after Mr.. Wilson returned from his
western tour and took to his bed.
They began at the peace conference
in Paris, as Mr.. Lansing disclosed in
his final letter to the president, un-
der date of yesterday. and had con-
tinued since that time-one Of the
chief differences being over the gov
ernment's attitude toward Mexico.
When the cabinet met on October
5. Joseph P. Tumulty. private secrc-
tary to the president, issued formal
statement explaining the reasons for
the conference. He said:
The cabinet was called to con-
slider questions in which more than
one department was concerned and
also to discuss the industrial confer
ence." He referred to the first con
ference called by the president with
the hope OF allayng the industrial
unrest.
In his statement Mr.. Tumulty said
that Rear Admiral Grayson, Mr..
Wilson's physician, was present and
Suggested that only urgent matters
Continued on rsso I've. Column One.