Evening star., 1920-02-15
The Cabinet.

Secretary Lansing's virtual dis
missal from office brings directly to
the public mind that the cabinet is
not an organic part of the federal ad-
ministration. 1t has come into being
in the view of the people as distinct
entity only through long usage of the
term as Identifying the group of de
partmental heads acting as unit
when summoned by their chief. the
no cabinet in the sense of ministry,
as in England, France or Italy, where
the government is administered by
groups of men who are responsible
collectively through their leaders to
the parliamentary bodies. Save for
the "advice and consent" of the SEN
ate in appointment, the members of
the Presidents cabinet have no direct
relationship with Congress. They may
he summoned as witnesses in matters
of legislation or in inquiries into mat
ters affecting their departments. They
report. however. to the President aud
are responsible to him alone.
The Constitutions only reference to
the so-called cabinet is that of section
of article II, which provides that
the President "may require the
opinion, in writing, of the principal
officer in each of the executive de-
partments" Congress may abolish,
merge or add to the departments. 1t
may by expansion make the cabinet
large body or by reduction a small
one. Similarly, the President. if he
should desire, may confine his "cabi-
net meetings to two or three chosen
department heads. Or he might, with
equal authority, invite to council any
other person than department head.
He might, indeed, choose as advisers
any persons he desires outside OF the
administrative organization and never
summon his cabinet" in session.
In these circumstances, with the
President in any case solely respon-
sible for the administration of fed
eral affairs, the cabinet sessions have
no such grave importance as would
appear to be given to them by Pres
ident Wilson's objection to Mr..
Lansing's action in calling his col
leagues together during the illness of
the executive. The fact that the meet
ings were held, however, was greatly
helpful in the crisis caused by Mr..
Wilson's Interpretation. The public
was reassured that the government
was functioning in the absence of the
chief of state Informal conferences
could have been held by the depart
ment heads in their own offices or at
their own homes without evoking any
criticism, but they would not have
been so effective in restoring public
confidence in the stability of the gov
ernment. Thus in following an exam
pie set during the illness of Presi
dent Taylor, when the cabinets met
with the chiefs chair vacant, Secre
etary Lansing rendered valuable
service to the country.
No possible harm could follow the
"usurpation" of executive authority
of which the President has com
planned in his letter to Mr.. Lansing
There was no concealment of the fact
that the meetings were being held.
On the contrary, as just indicated,
much of their value lay in publicity,
for the effect upon the minds Of the
people. It is difficult, therefore, to
regard the cabinet meetings as the
true reason for the breach between
the President and the Secretary of
State. And in view of Mr.. Lansing's
frankly avowed willingness and even
his desire to retire from his Office
which he restrained from sense of
loyalty to the President and duty to
the country in critical situation
it is matter of the deepest regret
that the President did not put the
case squarely before the Secretary
when he found that their minds were
not "going along" together and sug
gest resignation, which would of
course have been at once Forthcoming.
The country would have then been
spared a shock and would not have
been so sharply reminded Of the fact
that for several months the govern
ment has been running virtually
without head