Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-02-16
LANSING 'S SKID
FROM WILSON s
CAB|NE I STARTS
TONGUES To WAC
Talk Among Politicians,
Congressman and Govern
ment Officials at Capital
CenterS About Incident,
OPINION IN CONGRESS
ABOUT EVENLY DIVIDED
Treaty Opponents Support
the SeCretay'S Stand;
Affair is Expected to Be
Subject of Debate Today,

teY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wtREl
Washington, Feb. 15.-Secretary
Lansing's enforced resignation con-
dnues to hold the attention of Off
cial Washington, and all the talk
among politicians, members of con-
gress and government officials con-
tinues to center about it. Gossip as
to the probable successor to the
. former secretary of state is even
subordinated to discussion Of the
sensational climax to the strained
relations between President Will
son and the former secretary of
state which are now known to
have been in existence more than a
year.
Such terms as "crisis" in the
cabinet are freely used, and in a
sense find color in the frank ac-
acknowledgement of Secretary Lane
that he was equally responsible for
the meetings to which the president
objected, but the best information
indicates that there is no crisis, in
the sense that more secretaries are
likely to resign; in fact it has been
stated at the White House that no
more designations are expected as a
result of the incident
Opinion in congress continues
divided with opponents of the
peace treaty supporting Mr., Lans-
ing's position and talking Of some
action to determine how the ex-
ecutive business of the government
is being conducted during Presi-
dent Wilson's illness. There is
l. 30 rp ca ri
of legislation to define specifically
what constitutes disability of the
president more clearly than is pro-
vided in the constitution. SO far
1t is all in the realm of talk; no
member of congress has brought
forward any proposal for legisla-
ton. The chief discussion seems
to range about whether President
Wilson knew of the cabinet meet
irgs which have been goifis on for
three months until he wrote his
letter. asking for Mr.. Lansing's res
ignation. Probably no one but the
president himself and three or
four persons most closely around
him can answer such n question
specifically, but it Is being pointed
out in discussions of the incident
that reports of the cabinet meet
ings have been printed regularly in
the newspapers; that it has been
stated at the White House that the
president reads the newspapers
every day. and that in some in
stances, at least, official action,
which the president took on some
subjects was after those subjects
had been discussed at the cabinet
conferences.
Persons who are we'll informed
of what has been going on in the
inside of the administration hold
to their belief that the cabinet
meetings We're only an incident and
that President Wilson himself in
one of his letters to Mr.. Lansing
referred to other and important
reasons which he wrote that the
cabinet meeting incident only
strengthened a feeling he had had
for some time and that for some
months he had found the secretary
of state yielding to his decisions
with more and more reluctance
The affair is expected to come
up in congress again probably to-
morrow. Mr. Lansing meanwhile
has denied himself to all callers. 1t
is understood he may spend short
vacation in Florida before going
to his home in Watertown, n, Y.
Speculation as to Mr. Lansings
successor continued to involve the
names of Frank L. Polk, who yes
terday became secretary ad interim
by virtue of his offices as COUNSEL
lor of the state department, Secre-
tary of War Baker, John w. Davis
ambassador to Great Britain and
Hugh C. Wallace, ambassador to
France,
Official intimation was given to-
night that Mr.. Lansing's successor
might be appointed before the end
of the week, even though 1t was
said there was 'no hurry about it,
as Mr.. Polk can serve as secretary
ad interim for a period Of thirty
days.