Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-02-20
LANSING RESIGNS
JOB IN CABINET
Secretary of State Quits and
President Accepts His
Resignation.
POLK IS AID INTERIM HEAD
Wilson Charges Lansing With Assuna-
ing Prerogatives of the Chief Exec
utive During the Past Four
Months of Presidents
Illness.

washington, Feb. l6.-RODefL Lam
sing resigned on Friday night as sec
rotary of state.
Mr.. Lansing left Office because he
was charged by President Wilson with
assuming the prerogatives of the pres
ident during the period OF the latter's
illness in the past four months by call
ing and presiding over meetings of the
cabinet.
His resignation, rendered in letter
under date of February II, was ac-
cepted by the president Friday and be-
came effective at once. Under-Secre-
tary of State Frank. Polk is the ad
interim head of the state department
and may be named as Mr., Lansing's
successor.
The state department on Friday
night issued a formal statement an
nouncing the resignation of Secretary
Lansing and giving the correspondence
which passed between the president
and his chief aid leading up to the
breaking of relations.
The correspondence follows:
Wilson to Lansing.
1.-THE White House, Feb. Z.
"My dear Mr. Secretary: Is it true,
as have been told, that during my i'll
ness you have frequently called the
heads of the executive departments of
the government into conference? Ii
it is / feel it my duty to call your at
tention to considerations which | do
not care to dwell upon until ! learn
from yourself that this is the fact
Under our constitutional law and prac-
tice, as developed hitherto, no one but
the president has the right to summon
the heads of the executive depart
ments into conference, and no one but
the president and the congress has the
right to ask their views or the views
of any one of them on any public ques-
ton.
II take this matter up with you be.
cause in the development of every con-
stitutional system custom and prece-
dent are of the most serious conse-
quence, and think we will all agree
in desiring not to lead in any wrong
direction. / have therefore taken the
liberty of writing to ask you this
question.
Cordially and sincerely yours,
'WOODROW WILSON,"
Lansing to Wilson.
1.-THE Secretary of State, Washington.
Feb. 9.
my Dear Mr.. President: 1t is true
that frequently during your illness !
requested the heads of the executive
departments of the government to meet
for informal conference.
shortly after you were taken III in
October certain members of the cab
met, of which 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
nterdepartmental matters and matters
as to which action could not be post
poned until your medical advisers per-
mitted you to pass upon them.
Accordingly /, as the ranking MEM
Der, requested the members of the cab
met to assemble for such informal con-
eft derived the practice was continued.
ST can assure you that it never for
a moment entered my mind that | was
acting unconstitutionally or contrary to
your wishes, and there certainly was
no intention on my part to assume
powers and exercise functions which
under the constitution are exclusively
confded to the president
During these troublous times, when
many difficult and vexatious questions
have arisen and when in the circum-
stances I have been deprived of your
guidance and direction, it has been my
constant endeavor to carry out your
policies as I understood them and to
act in all matters as / believed you
would wish me to act. If, however, you
think that I have failed in my loyalty
to you and if you no longer have conf
dence 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.
81 am, as always. faithfully yours,
"ROBERT LANSING"
Wilson to Lansing:
'@The White House. Feb. II, 1920.
"My Dear Mr.. Secretary: | am very
much disappointed by your letter of
Feb. 9 in reply to mine asking about
the so-called cabinet meetings.
"You kindly explain the motives of
those meetings and l find nothing in