The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1920-02-16
.aHE SHARES
CLEANSING
-4.4>.y Responsible For Calling
Cabinet Meetings, He Says,
Silent As TO SUCCESSOR
s.&i'e House Says Mo Other Cabinet
Caluges Are Likely to Follow Ian.
s.rg Retirement.

- 'f-"r 4S&S~ SSAyS W. SSi'Cl S0GlliSN
Changes Are Likely to Follow Ian.
s:rg Retirement.
Washington, Feb. l5.-Under Secre-
larry Polk; John ". Davis, ambassa-
a = so Great Britain. and Hugh c.
Wallace, ambassador to France, are
foremost among those being discussed
t. head The state department as sue
c,S-oTS TO former Secretary Lansing
Who announced his resignation after
q dramatic clash with President Will
Although it is known that Mr.. Polk
IaH determined % return to private
law Practice, some friends Of the
administration were hopeful that he
III ght he induced to serve out the I'M
expired term of his former chief.
Tie Lansing resignation furnished
official Washington with Il sensation
Unparalleled since William J. Bryan
departed from Office \ statement of
Secretary Lane, who is leaving the
cabinet March l, that he felt an equal
responsibility with Mr.. Lansing for
holding The cabinet meetings to which
President Wilson objected, seemed to
add possibilities of further cabinet
ruS guationS for a time, but this was
disposed of by a statement at the
White House that there were to be no
further retirementS as a result of the
incident.
Secretary Of the Interior Lane Wig
UnuSly asserted that he considered
himself just us much responsible" as
Secretary Lansing for calling the cabi-
he. meetings during the presidents
-"Uas<. lie said Mr.. Lansing called
t.rl ON The telephone and obtained his
approval of the idea before calling
HE first meeting, and presumably Sc
cured the approval of other cabinet
..eo hIrs also"
We an thought the meetings were
GOOD thing" said Mr. Lane, who
r..ireS as secretary of the interior
g.. March l. They were often az
tulci by DR. Grayson, and messages
We're transmitted to the president on
g1e>i.uus discussed The critical situ-
usiun preripltated by the coal strike
came up for consideration, as well as
u.stags pertaining To the first indus
trial conference and other important
g.ys ous. l feel that l attended the
meetings on Il full level of reSpOnsi-
l..ty with Secretary Lansing, mas
mach rs l had agreed to the advis-
"n.Uy Of their being held. Other
members of the cabinet apparently
took the same position"
! kcd whether the question of the
con>ritu.ionality of the meetings ever
HAD been raised among the cabinet
members, Secretary Lane replied:
No; not all. The question was
never discussed in any way
Notification of Mr.. LansingS retire
ment was sent to all foreign govern
meHls by Under Secretary Polk.
Ii was said at the state department
that Mr.. Polk would serve as acting
secretary for a period of thirty days,
unless q successor to Mr.. Lansing is
chosen sooner.
Cabinet meetings will be resumed
Every Soon," and as announced few
days ago President Wilson will pre-
side White House officials reiterated
thai he was making rapid strides to-
ward regaining his health.
The row served to bring to public
light much that has been going on I'M
der the surface since President Wilson
fell i'll, and the principal effect was
to emphasize that President Wilson
ana his former secretary OF state were
III loggerheads on many importan. sub
je,ts even before the United States
went into the war in 1917, and that
these disagreements, which were on
fundamental questions of policy, con-
tiuued throughout the peace negotia-
tons at Paris and even into the
handling of the Mexican situation
since the president has been sick.
The best informed Of those close to
the administration were sure that the
Climax was the result of an accumu-
Iation of conditions which continued
over the question of whether the peace
treaty and the league of nations cove
Tdul should be separated or treated
as one document, ranged into the re-
cent handling of the Maxican situation
and wound up in the inside admins
tration discussion of whether the pres
idenrs illness incapacitated him from
dischargtng the duties Of his Office.
AIr. Lansing's friends say that in
calling he cabinet together he was
acting with precedent to support him,
and Jhar although as ranking officer
of the cabinet he actually called the
meetings. other members of the cabi-
net agreed in the procedure. They
point to Secretary Lanes statement
thar he assumed equal responsibility
and HAT all the cabinet members
rI,rf-lt tbn nnnfip oS q ooO5 4b;on