Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-02-14
SAYS
SECY. Of STATE
TRIED To USURP
HIS AUTHORITY
Mr.. Lansing's Activities
During the Time His Chief
Has Been lncapacitated
For Duty Leads to Rupture
CORRESPONDENCE IS
GIVEN TO THE PRESS
Chief Executive Seems Of
tended Because Somebody
Attended to Business Dur
ina His Long Illness.

IHY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED WlREl
Washington, Feb. 13,-Robert
Lansing ended his career as secre-
tary of state today after President
Wilson had accused him of usurp-
ing the powers of the president by
calling meetings of the cabinet
during Mr.. Wilson'S Illness.
Mr.. Lansing denied that he had
sought or intended to usurp the
presidential authority. He added,
however, that he believed then and
still believed that the cabinet con-
ferences were for the best inter-
ests of the republic" that they
were proper and necessary" be-
cause of the presidents condition
and that he would have been dere-
lict in his duty if he had failed to
act as he did.
AS the record stands, Mr.. Lansing
rendered his resignation and Mr..
Wilson accepted it. The resignation
was offered. however, only after
the president, under date of Feb
ruary Z, had written, asking If it
were true that Mr.. Lansing had
called cabinet meetings, and stat
ing that if such were the case he
felt it necessary to say that under
our constitutional law and practice,
as developed hitherto, no one but
the president has the right to sum-
mon the heads of the executive de-
partments into conference"
Mr.. Lansing answered two days
later-last Monday aging he had
li
cause he and others of the presi
dents official family felt that, in
view of the fact that we were de-
MED communication with you, 1t
was wise for us to confer informal
ly together on matters as to which
action could not be postponed un-
til your medical advisers permitted
you to pass upon them"
The secretary concluded by say
ing that if the president believed
he had failed in his loyalty to
him and if Mr.. Wilson no longer
had confidence in him, he was
ready to "relieve you of any en-
barrassment by placing my resig-
nation in your hands"
The president replied last
Wednesday that he was "much dis
appointed" by Mr.. Lansng's letter
regarding the "so-calledi cabinet
meetings." He said he found moth
ing in the secretary's letter which
justified your assumption of presi-
Dental authority in such a matter"
and added that he "must frankly
take advantage Of your kind sug-
gestion" to resign.
II must say" continued the
president, that it would relieve me
of embarrassment, Mr.. Secretary,
the embarrassment of feeling your
reluctance and divergence of judg-
ment, if you would give up your
present office and afford me an
opportunity to select some one else
whose mind would more willingly
go along with mine
Before this letter was written,
the day for the regular cabinet
meeting-last Tuesday-had passed
and the correspondence discloses
why the cabinet did not meet. on
the same day that he received this
letter from the president, MT
lansing announced that he had
written other cabinet officers that
he would not call any more cabi-
net conferences for the present, but
no explanations were offered. In
uuiry at the White House brought
only the statement that Mr.. Will
son himself would call and preside
at the next session of his official
advisers.
But the differences between the
president long pre-dated the first
cabinet call by Mr., Lansing, which
was issued last october 5. seven
days after Mr.. Wilson returned
from his western speaking tour and
took to his bed. They began at the
peace conference in Paris, as Mr.,
Lansing disclosed in his final let
ter to the president, under date of
yesterday, and had continued since
that time-one of the chief differ
ences being over the governments
attitude toward Mexico.
When the cabinet met on Octo-
Der 5, Joseph p. Tumulty. private
secretary to the president, issued
formal statement explaining the