Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-02-14
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tonefhef, ana the president, some
sssf disturbed. gave his personal
shvaician q message to deliver to
~ secretaries.
me secretaries assembled at
,ssir usual places that day and Mr..
lansing sent for DR.. Grayson. The
.eesident's chair at the head of the
,sbIe was left vacant until the ply
siriau arrived and he was asked to
occupy il.
aDr. Grayson." Secretary Lam
s,ns is reported to have said by
,hose who were present. I'VE wish
"a know the nature and extent OF
,he presidents illness, and whether
h. IL able to perform the duties of
Sis ONCE, so that we may deter
mine what shall be done to carry
on the business OF the govern
ment."
The presidents physician is quot
cd by some OF the other secretar-
les as having replied in substance:
"The president Is doing as well
A could be expected; he Is in full
nossession of all his faculties. and
H. has directed me to inquire OF
YOU BY what authority this meeting
n the cabinet was called; what
business is before it and what bus
mess It is expected might be trans
acted at cabinet meeting without
his participation
Others Intervene.
According to the story told at
the time, Secretary Lansing had no
opportunity 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
10 send him a message OF loyalty
and Encouragement. At that point
the meeting broke up without hav-
jux transacted any business, but it
did not end the so-called cabinet
conferences.
II has not been made plain
whether President Wilson knew
since then that the cabinet mem
bers had been assembling and talk
ing over inter-departmental affairs,
but the meetings have been held in
the cabinet room il the executive
oflces and II the president did not
know, it probably was because
those surrounding did not think it
wise to tell him.
The best opinion Of those ION the
inside" is that the president did not
krow until last week of the regu-
larity with which the cabinet was
meeting at the call of the secretary
OF state because at about the time
n which the presidents first letter
IN Mr.. Lansing is dated, the White
house Offices "let it be known" that
the president had ended the cabi-
net conferences and 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 separation
between Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Ian
slng.
Wire Many Differences.
Now that It has come and Mr.
Lansing has left the cabinet, much
may be revealed of the extent to
which the secretary of state and
the president differed in matters OF
policy. Quite aside from the diff
ferences at the peace conference
there were other differences in pc.
lice and some of Mr.. Lansing't
friends say he would have left his
ONCE some time ago but for the fact
that he wished to spare the presi.
dent an upheaval in his officia
family at a time when Europe was
Watching the fight over the treat,
in America and especially when the
president was i'll and unable tt
look after the affairs of the state
department himself.
Mr.. Lansing became head Of tn.
state department when William J
Bryan and the president had theil
differences over the Lusitanis
notes. Mr.. Lansing was counsel
lor, an Office in which he had sue
ceeded John Bassett Moore. 1t ha.
been common knowledge that while
Mr.. Lansing's name was signed t
the succeeding notes to Germany
and the notes which preceded tn.
armistice. MIR. Wilson wrote then
himself In fact he PRACTICAL!
acted as secretary Of state In al
important business. 1t was tn,
presidents conception of his rela
ton to the foreign policy Of thu
nation.
Over Mexico, Too.
How much Mr.. Lansing and thu
president differed on the Mexica,
policy never has been fully reveal
Ell. but officials who sympathiz'
with Mr.. Lansing's views, say tina
they differed a great deal. 1t ha
generally been believed in officia
c.dcles that the sharp notes whicl
Mr.. Lansing sent 70 Carranza il
connection with the Jenkins cas-
are what the president referred t,
In his letter to the secretary whel
he spoke Of the secretary OF stat
having taken action to forestall hi
Judgment 1t is known, however
that Henry Prather Fletcher. for
mer ambassador to Mexico, who re
Gently resigned, wrote a letter t
tie president in which he excoriat
ed the Administrations Mexical
policy. and the general belief 4
the state department is that MI
Lansing and MIR. Fletcher agree
pretty generally. Mr.. Fletcher
letter Of resignation never ha
been given out at the White house
But aside from his difhculties wit
the president, II has been commo
knowledge in Washington that Nj
lansing has not been on goo
terms with Secretary Tumulty an
ffum ttv,o - t{u.A fhnpo havo hoQ