Arizona republican., 1920-02-14
Lansing Says He Had Long Planned Step
rRepublican A Leased Wirel

WASHINGION, Feb. Is. Robert Lansing ended his career as secretary of state today after President Will son had accused him of usurping the powers of the president by calling meet ings of the cabinet during Mir. Wilson's illness.
 Mir. Lansing denied that he had sought or intended to usurp the Presi- dentiaI authority. He added, however, that he believed then and still be- lieves that the cabinet conferences were flor the best interests of the re- public" that they were ~proper and necessary because of the presidents condition and that he would have been dereIict in his duty # he had failed to act as he did.
 Resignation Was Requested
 As the record stands, Mir. Lans
 ing rendered his resignation and
 Mir. Wilson accepted #. The resis
 nation was offered, however. only
 after the president, under date or
 February 7. had written asking #
 1t were true that Mir Lansing had
 called cabinet meetings and stat
 ing that if such were the case he
 felt 1t necessary to say that ~un6er
 our constitutional law and prsc-
 tice, as developed hitherto, no one
 but the president has the right 10
 summon the heads of the execu-
 tive departments into conference
 NIT. Lansing answered two days later last Monday-sayinS he had called the cabinti conferences because he and others of the presidents official family felt that, in view Of the fact that we were denied communication with you, 1t was wise for us to confer informally together on matters as to which action could not be postponed until your medical advisers permitted you to pass upon them
 The secretary concluded by saying that if the president believed he had aiIed in his loyalty 10 him and # MT. Wilson no longer had confidence in him, he was ready 10 relieve you of any embarrassment by placing my resignation in your hands,.
 Says Lansing Exceeded Authority
 The president replied last WedneS- day that he was much disappointed by Mr. Lansins's letter regarding the so-called cabinet meetings He said he found nothing in the secretary's letter which justified your assumption of presidential authority in such natter" and added that he mus frankly take advantage of your kind suggestion to resign
 ~ must say" continued the
 president, that 1t would relieve
 me of embarrassment, Mr. Secre
 tary, the embarrassment of feel
 ing your reluctance and diqerbence
 of Judgment, if you would give up
 your present office and afford me
 an opportunity to select some ore
 else whose mind would more will
 ingly go along with mine-'
 Before this letter was written. the day for the regular cabinet meeti~- last Tuesday-had passed and the coz respondence discloses why the cabinet did not meet On the same dav that he received this letter from the presi- dent, MT. Lansing announced that he had written other cabinet officers that he would not call any more cabineE conferences for the present. but no eN- pianation was offered. Inquiry at th.. White House brought only the state ment that MT. Wilson himself prol,- ably would call and preside at the mex session of his official advisers.
 Trouble Started in Paris
 But the differences long pre-dzted the first cabinet call by MT. I>ansinr which was issued last October 5. seven days after Mr- Wilson returned from his western speaking tour and took to LAS oc0- itS ItS14 dL tue peace COZ ference in Paris, as MT. Lansing dis closed in his final letter to the prs<i- dent, under date of yesterday, and had continued since that time-one Of the chief differences being over the gov ernment's attitude toward Mexico.
 When the cabinet met on October S Joseph P. Tumulty. private secretary to the president. issued a formal state ment explaining the reasons for the conference. He said:
 '.The cabinet was called to consider questions in which more than one de- pertinent was concerned and also to discuss the industrial conference" He referred to the first conference called by the president with the hope of al laying the industrial unrest
 In his statement, Mir. Tumulfy said that Rear Admiral Grayson. Mir VII sons physician. was present and ..sus- gested that only urgent matters I,e brought to the presidents attention.
 Thereafter. Until this week. the cabl- net met less regularly. During the coal strike il met twice a week in au effort to avert the walkout Of the migs- CTS and several weeks ago n.EaS de.