Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1920-02-19
Secretary Of State Lansing Is
Forced Out Of the Cabinet by
President Wilson.
.DIsCoRD OF VIEWS REVEALED
Director. General Hines Refuses to
Raise Wages Of Railway Employees
and the Dispute Goes to Pres
ldent-Renewed Hope for
Peace. Treaty.
BY EDWARD W. PlckARp,

Forced out by President Wilson on
q pretext, Secretary of State Lansing
resigned from the cabinet on Friday
and his resignation was accepted at
once. Coincident with this announce
mtnt the state department gave out
the correspondence on the subject be-
tween the president and the secretary.
- series of letters that made plain
the growing discord between the two
men and revealed what looked like
Querulous irritability on the part of
Mr.. Wilson. All the world knows of
some of the disagree,1ents, but the
president chose for the subject of
complaint the fact that Mr.. Lansing
had been calling informal meetings Of
the cahinet during the illness of the
chief executive. He wrote as though
he had just. learned of this. and as
serted that In doing it the secretary
had usnrped presidential prerogative
This has put the other members Of
the cabinet in an uncomfortable posi-
ton. for the cabinet gatherings were
called and held by their advice and
consent Washington is wondering
whether they, too. will be called on
to resign.
Mr.. .Lansing's resignation is less sur
prising than the fact that lie has SCI
long remained in the cabinet. Though
he was the 'premier," he, like the
other advisers of the president, was
accorded mighty little freedom of ac-
ton. Though more nearly trained
diplomat than any other member of
the administration, and nominally In
charge of foreign affairs, all impor-
tant international matters We're han
died not by him, but by President Will
son himself or by Colonel House.
Other cabinet members much inferior
in ability and experience, like Baker.
Burleson and Daniels, have been taken
into the confidence of the president
much more than has Mr.. Lansing. He
has been a good deal of a rubber
stamp" through no fault of his own,
and his friends would have liked to
see him get, out of the cabinet long
ago.
Director General Hines and the
heads Of the railway unions failed to
reach an agreement as to wages, and
the whole matter was passed on to
President Wilson for his decision of
the final attitude of the government.
The possibility of general railway
strike and consequent paralysis of in
dustry loomed big, despite the asser-
ton of the leaders of the four brother
hoods that no such move was being
considered yet.
Mr.. Hines, after many days of con-
ference with the labor chiefs, came
to the conclusion that, though the
workers may be entitled to more pay
under existing living conditions, it is
economically impossible for the rail-
way administration to grant the in
creases in view of the fact that feder-
al control comes to an end on March
I. 1t was believed in Washington
that the president would sustain Mr..
Hines and appeal to the railway ,un-
ions to submit their demands to the
wage adjustment boards provided for
in the pending railway legislation. The
unions, however. do not seem to have
any faith in such tribunals. and feel
that they will have no chance after
the roads have been returned to
private ownership.
Everyone concerned in the matter
directly feels that the union chiefs
have been very courteous and iiave
shown genuine desire to avoid seri-
ous trouble. 1t is to be expected that
some strikes Will follow If the presi-,
dent decides against the workers, but