Arizona republican., 1920-02-15
lRepubIfean A. p. Leased wirel

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14.=-l nder Secretary Polk, John W. Davis. xfn- bassador to France, are foremost among those being discussed to head the state department as successor to former Secretary Lansing, who an nounced his resignation after a dra- matic clash with President Wilson
 Although it is known that MT. Polk had determined to return to private life ana practice law, some friends of the administration were hopeful that he might be induced to serve out the aunexpired term of his former chief.
 The Lansing resignation furnished official Washington with sensation unparalleled since William J. Bryan departed from office.
 Wilson Denies Further Resignation
 The statement of Secretary Lane, who is leaving the cabinet March l, that he felt an equal responsibility with Mir. Lansing for holding the cabi net meetings to which President Will son objected, seemed to add poSsibili- a time, but this was dispelled by statement at the white house that there were to be no further retirements as a result of the incident.
 Congress discussed the sensation with avidity, but in the cloak rooms, however, and the subject did not come up in debate on the floor of either house or senate. Such comment as was made was more or less divided, opponents of the treaty praising MT. Lansing's course and other recalling that one of the presidents preroga- tives is to select the members of his own official family. The row served to bring to public light much that has been going on under the surface since the president fell ill and the principal effect was to emphasize that President Wilson and his former secretary of tof far at portant subjects even before the United States went into the war in 1917. and that these disagreements, which were on fundamental questions of policy, continued throughout the peace negotiations at Paris and even into the handling of the Mexican sit uation since the president has beer sick.
 ] Had Many Disagreements-
 The best informed of those close to the, administration were sure that the climax was the result of an accumu- lation of conditions which continued over the question of whether the peace treaty and the League of Nations cove nant should be separated or treated as one document. ranged into the re- cent handling of the Mexican situation and wound up in the inside admins tration discussion of whether the presidents illness inca pacitated him from dischar ging the duties of his of flee.
 Mir. Lsnsing's friends say that in
 calling tie cabinet together he was
 acting with precedent to support
 him, and that although, as rank
 ing officer of the cabinet, he act
 uaIIy called the meetings, other
 members of the cabinet agreed in
 the procedure. They point to Sec
 retary Iane's statement that he
 assumed equal responsibility and
 that all the cabinet members
 thought the meetings good
 thing.
 The under r-the- surface discussion of the incident, however,-the sort which goes on between officials and is not intended for publication-connects at least the first of cabinet meetings last October with the speculation which was going on at the time as to whether Vice President Marshall ought to be called upon to take over The duties of the presidency. While it is known that the subject never came up actually at a meeting of the cabinet officers, it is also known that it was discussed prf- vately and that some of the reports. which were taken to the president, included Secretary Lansing's name among those who were discussing that probability. How much this part of the incident had to do with the out come can only be left to speculation.
 Lansing Prepares to Leave.
 MT. Lansing was not at the depart ment today, and it was understood, was preparing to go to his home in Watertown, New York, for a vacation and a rest.
 The presidents friends made the occasion one to observe that the presi- dents action, like his conferences with Senators Fall and Hitchcock on the Mexican situation several weeks ago served to emphasize that while he may be i'll physically. he is in full posses sion of all his mental faculties.
 May Influence Treaty Fight
 To the senate. whose struggle with the peace treaty had given it some in sight into the condition of foreign af- fairs. the revelation of President Will sons disagreement with his secretary of state caused less surprise than did the time and manner of the final break between them. Privately, many dem ocratic senators expressed regret that the resignation came just on the eve Of another effort to ratify the treaty.
 Senator Norris, republican, Ne
 braska, one of the "irreconciI- ables,' said in statement, the sec
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