The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-02-18
SECRETARY LANSING
Quits CABINET
Disagreement Between Him
and President
LANSING CALLED
CABINET MEETINGS

When Secretary Lansing Admits
Chilling Cabinet Meetings During
Illness OF the President. Diner.
ences Long Standing.
Washington, Feb. 13.-Robcrt Lans-
Ing ended his career as Secretary of
State today after President Wilson had
accused him Of usurping the powers
OF President by calling meetings of
the cabinet during Mr. Wilson'S i'll
ness
MI. Lansing denied that he had
sought or intended to usurp the pres
idential authority. He added, however,
THAT he believed then and still be-
lieves that the cabinet conferences
were "for the best interests OF the re-
public; that they were proper and
necessary" because Of the Presidents
condition and that he wiuld have been
derelict in his duty if he had failed
to act as he did.
AS the record stands Mr.. Lansing
rendered his resignation and Mr.. Will
son accepted it. The resignation was
offered, however, only after the pres
idcnt, under date Of February 7, had
written asking if it were true that
Mr. Lansing had called cabinet meet
| ings and stating that if such we're
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
SUMMON the heads Of the executive de-
| partments into conference"
Mr.. Lansing answered two days
Ilatcr--last Monday saying he had
called the cabinet conferences because
he and others of the Presidents ofIic-
ial family felt that in view Of the
fact that we were denied communica-
ton with You, it was wise for us to
confer informally together on matters
as to which action could not be post
poned until your medical advisers per
mitted you to pass upon them"
The secretary concluded by saying
/ that if the President believed he fail
ed in his loyalty to him and if Mr..
| Wilson no longer had confidence in
him he was ready to relieve you of
any embarrassment by placing my
resignation in your hands"
The President replied last Wcdnes-
day that he was ''much disappointed"
by Mr.. Lansins's letter regarding "thc
so-called cabinet meetings" He said
he found nothing in the Secretary's
letter (which justifes your assumption
Of Presidential authority in such
'mattcr" and added that he must
frankly take advantage of your kind
suggestion" to resign.
81 must say" continued the Presi-
dent that it would relieve me of en-
barrassmcnt, Mr.. Secretary the en-
barrassment Of feeling your reluctance
and divergence OF judgment, 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 Tucsday-had passed and the
correspondence discloses why the cab
met did not meet. On the same day
! that he received this letter from the
| President Mr. Lansing announced that
he had written other cabinet officers
| that he would not call any more cab
met conferences for the present, but
no explanation was offered. Inquiry at
the White House brought only the
statement that Mr.. Wilson himself
probably would call and preside at
the next session OF his Official advls-
ers
But the difference between the Pres
ident long pre-datcs the first cabinet
call by Mr. Lansing, which was issued
! last Octolcr 5th. seven days after MI.
| Wilson returned from his western
| speaking tour and took to his bed.
! They began at tho peace conference in
| Paris, as Mr. Lansing disclosed in his
/ final letter to the President, under date
Of yesterday, and had continued since
| that time one Of tho chief differences
Iboing over the governments attitude
| toward Mexico
| When the cabinet met on October 5,
Joseph p. Tumulty, private secretary