The Mena weekly star., 1920-02-19
RFTIRES
 FROM CABINET
Was Accused by President of Usurp- ing His Powers by Calling Confer ences of Executive Heads-Res-
 ignation Effective at Once.

DtPdA tihSHl iSSucu lhe ioiiOWlnB statement;
 Secretary Lansing has resigned
 and his resignation has been ac-
 cepted taking effect today"
 The resignation of the Secretary of State Lansing was virtually on the re- quest of President Wilson, who wrote the Secretary asking if it was true that during my illness you have ire quently called the heads of the exec utive departments of the government into conference and calling atten- tion of the Secretary that such a course was an usurption of the powers of the President and Congress.
 Secretary Lansing replied that shortly after you were taken ill in October certain members of the cab met of which l was one, felt that, in view of the fact that we were denied communication with you, it was wise for us to confer informally together on inter-departmental matters and matters as to which action could not be postponed until your medical advisors permitted you to pass upon them. Ac- cordingly l, as ranking member, re- quested the members of the cabinet to assemble for such informal confer ences; and in view of the mutual ben eft derived the practice was con- tinued
 During these troublous times when many difficult and vexatious questions have arisen and when in the circumstances have been deprived of your guidance and direction it has been my constant endeavor to carry out your policies as understood them and to act in all matters as believed you would wish me to act, and if you no longer have confidence in me and prefer to have another conduct our foreign affairs, am of course, ready, Mr. President, to relieve you of any embarrassment by placing my resignation in your hands"
 The President thereupon replied that he was much disappointed by Mir. Lansing's letter, and found nothing thesein which justified your assump- tion of Presidential authority" and that the affair only deepened the feel ing that you accepted my guidance and direction on questions with regard to which had to instruct you only with increasing reluctance" and the President then said:
 q, therefore, feel that 1 must frankly take advantage of your kind suggestion that if should prefer to have another to conduct our foreign affairs you are ready to relieve me of any embarrassment by placing your resignation in my hands, for I must say that it would relieve me of em- barrassment, MT. Secretary, the em- barrassment of feeling your reluctance and divergence of judgment, if you would give your present office up and afford me an opportunity to select someone whose mind would more will ingly go along with mine"
 Secretary Lansing thereupon ten- dered his resignation, saying that
 Ever since January, 1919, have been conscious of the fact that you no longer were disposed to welcome my advices in matters pertaining to the negotiations in Paris, to our foreign service, or to international affairs in general. Holding these views would if had consulted my own personal inclination alone, have resigned as Secretary of State and as commis- sioner to negotiate peace. felt, however, that such step might have been misinterpreted both at home and abroad and that it was my duty to cause you no embarrassment in car rying forward the great task in which you were then engaged. Possibly l erred in this, but if I did, it was with the best of motives.
 "When returned to Washington in the latter part of July, 1919, my per sonal wish to resign had not changed, but again felt that loyalty to you and my duty to the administration compelled me to defer action as my resignation might have been miscon- strued into hostility to the ratification of the peace treaty or at least into dis approval of your views as to the form of ratification. I therefore remained silent, avoiding any comment on the frequent reports that we were not in full agreement Subsequently, your serious illness, during which l have never seen you, imposed upon me the duty-at least construed it to be my duty-to remain in charge of the de- partment of state until your health permitted you to assume the full di- rection of foreign affairs.
 q also feel, Mir. President, that can dor compels me to say that cannot agree with your statement that l have tried to forestall your judgment in certain cases by formulating action and merely asking your approval when it was impossible for you to form an Independent Judgment because you had not had the opportunity to examine the circumstances with any degree of independence have, it is true, when l Considered case demanded immedi- ate action, advised you what, in my opinion that action should be, stating at the same time the reasons on which my opinion was based. This, l con- ceived to be function of the secre- tary of state, and l have followed the practice for the past four years and a half. confess that have been sur pflsed md disappointed at the ire