The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1920-02-18
Sec. Lansing
Resigns Office
SECRETARY AND PRESIDENT
HAVE DISAGREEMENT OF
LONG STANDING.

There is talk OF a congressional IN
Saturday by the resignation of Sec
retary of State Robert Lansing at
the request of President Wilson. The
president charged his senior cabinet
member with assuming presidential
perrogatives' during his recent i'll
ness.
Not since the resignation of Will
liam Jennings Bryan, Lansing's pre-
decessor, on the eve Of dispatching a
submarine note to Germany, has any
cabinet division caused such wide
spread comment and speculation
Lansing has given no statement re-
garding the action of the president
Official Washington was bewildered
vestigation into the whole controver-
sy between the president and Lans-
ing. 1t was commonly felt at the
capital that the cabinet break would
go far toward affecting the league
of nations fight 1t is said that otIer
cabinet officers also are on the verge
of resigning.
Congressman and cabinet officials
are remaining silent on the situation
for the present, until they have the
opportunity to investigate it to great
er lengths. The resignation of Sec
retary Lansing was announced late
Friday, following an exchange of
letters between the secretary and his
chief. These letters, it is understood,
will be made public later on.
President Wilson charged that dur
ing his illness Secretary Lansing
called cabinet meeting and thus as
sumed presidential authority which
| he had no right to do In this action
| may be seen an effort of the president
to disavow any responsibility for the
Injunction proceedings against the
mine strike, which aroused bitter op-
position in some quarters.
Because he was rebuked by Presi-
dent Wilson for calling cabinet meet
ings during his illness. Secretary
! Lansing has resigned The presi-
dent accepted the resignation 'witf
appreciation, and Lansing becomes
the second secretary of state to leave
the administration over a disagree
ment with the chief. Although pub
Iished correspondence between Presi
dent Wilson and Lansing makes tn.
cabinet meetings the cause for tn,
resignation, persons "inside," sa,
Jnat was only an incident ana Cnt
real reason extends back over man,
months. The relations between tn,
two almost reached the breaking poin
when Lansing in 1917 issued the cele
hrated statement. saying the Unite,
States was daily being drawn neare
war.
More differences developed at th
Paris peace conference over the in
clus;ion of the League of Nations i
the peace treaty. The sensations
Built statement quoting Lansing a
saying he was out of sympathy wit
, the league and predicting that tn
treaty would fail, came just befor
the presidents illness. which
: thought only to have prevented tn
' break then The first cabinet meet
e ing Lansing called. DIR. E. T. Gray
son attended. and he asked "by whs
authority the meeting was calle'
1t is not clear whether the presider
knew of the subsequent meeting
}. which occurred, and "inside opinion
: is that the president did not kno
: until last week. Lansing. it is vi
derstood, viewed the Mexican stu;
tion like former Ambassador Fletcl
er, who resigned recently. and tn
is said to be another point of diffe
ence with the president.