The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-02-16
REFoRNlER FEBRUARY

dent. Public men are unanimous i'll adj
hitting that the President has perfect
right to remove any member of his official
family at any time.
4 Friends of Acting Secretary of State
Polk when asked whether he contem
plated rendering his resignation under
existing conditions, made it clear that,
despite the fact that he is not very well,
he feels that it is his duty to remain,
certainly for the present.
The suggestion that Secretary of War
Baker may succeed Lansing at the head
of the cabinet was made in quarters
which should be we'll informed.
Mr. Baker and the President are close
friends, which cannot be said of many
men who have occupied positions in the
official family. Mr.. Baker has some
knowledge of foreign affairs and is ac
| quainted with many allied officials of
/ high rank When he, was appointed sec
lretarv of war the President described him
as man with "a chain lightning mind"
| The name of Attorney General Palmer
has been mentioned in connection with
the vacancy but only incidentally. Pop
ular opinion here appears to have cen
tired upon Under Secretary Polk, though
John W. Davis, ambassador to Great
Britain, has been spoken of favorably.
The name of William G. Sharp, for
merlv ambassador to France, also has
been mentioned, together with Hugh z.
| Wallace, the present ambassador. The
llaw provides that in the event OF va
cancy in the office of secretary OF state
1.-THE senior official of the department shall
serve as acting secretary for 30 days.
Should President Wilson not make per
manent appointment meanwhile he could
designate Mr. Polk as secretary OF state
ad interim pending the appointment OF
Mr.. Lansing's successor.
Mr.. Lansing has not yet announced his
plans Like Mr.. Polk, he has not en-
loved robust health for some time past
1t is expected he will devote some time to
rest and recreation before resumlng his
profession of the law.
An investigation was called for III a
: resolution introduced by Representative
Mason (Rep., ILL.,. He would have the
house foreign affairs committee find out
how the constitution was broken" and
report to the house particularly what
article of the constitution was broken by
the said late secretary of state ant
{ WUpbItI bIHcl IINilOIlo " 1'AS N0'AAA~
were equally guilty of breaking the con
stiution by attending an unconstitutiona
informal gathering, called by the late sec
!. retary of state, and if any of the new
! members Of the cabinet who have so dan
!, gerously broken the constitution have
!, been asked to resign, and if not, VII,
3 not
1T is further runored,' says Mr. Ma
son in one section Of the preamble, tina
one Albert Sidney Burleson, still post
: master general, has repeatedly attaeke'
the constitution of the United States b.
seeking the advice of the department Q
) Justice as to how he could possibly de
: stroy unfriendly newspapers, and ais
, how he could increase the ineiiicieaey Q
!. the postal service by reducing the pay o
q employees of the postal department.
!. Joseph p Tumulty and Secretarie
Z Daniels and Baker come in for the satir
IS Of Mr.. Mason. There is little chanc
, s for this resolution to receive serious con
3ideration. 1t is not unlikely that effort
F may be made to have an investigator
4 committee appointed but it is doubtfr
|. that they will succeed"