Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1920-02-15

ant SUBJECTS even DcIOre the united
that these disagreements, which were
on fundamental questions of policy,
continued throughout the peace nego-
tiations at Paris and even to the
handling of the Mexican situation
since the president has been i'll.
Accumulation of Events
The best informed of those close
to the administration were the climax
was the result Of an accumulation
Of conditions which centered over
the question Of whether the peace
treaty and the League OF Nations
covenant should be separated on
treated az one document, ranged into
the recent handling Of the Mexican
situation and wound up in outside
administration discussion Of whether
the presidents illness incapacitated
him from discharging the duties of
his office.
Mr.. Lansing's friends say that in
calling the cabinet together he was
acting with precedent to support him
and that although as ranking officer
of the cabinet he actually called the
meetings. other members of the cab
met agreed in the procedure. They
point to Secretary I.ansing's state
ment that he assumed equal RESPONSE
bility and that all cabinet members
thought the meetings good thing.
The under the surface discussion Of
the incident, however. the sort which
goes on between officials and is not
intended for publication, connects at
least the first Of the cabinet meet
ings last October with the specula-
tion which was going on at the tia G
as to whether Vice President Mar
shall ought to be called upon to take
over the duties of the presidency
While it is known that the subject
never came up actually at a meet
ing Of the cabinet officers, it is also
known that it was discussed private
ly and that some of the representa-
tive names which were taken TO the
president included Secretary Ian
sings name among those who were
discussing that probability. How
much Of this part Of the incident had
to do with the outcomeTcan only be
left to speculation. Mr.. Lansing was
not at the department today and il
was understood was preparing to &C
to his home in Watertown, n. Y, for
a vacation and rest.
of Mind
The presidents friends made the
occasion one TO observe that the pres
idents action, like his conference
with Senators Fall and Hitchcock or
the Mexican situation several week:
ago, served to emphasize that Will,
he NAV be i'll physically. he is in full
possession of all his mental faculties
To the senate. whose struggle Will
the peace treaty has been giving i
some insight into the condition OF
foreign affairs, the revelation o.
President Wilson's disagreement witt
his secretary Of state caused less sur
prise than did the time and manner
Of the final break between them.
Democrats Express Regrets
Privately, many democratic sen
ators expressed regret that the res
! ignation came just on the eve of an
other effort to ratify the treaty.
Senator Norris republican,, Ne
braska. cne Of the ''irreconcilables,
said in statement NJ hat the secre
tary's resignation showed that 9Th
mental expert that has been employ
ed at the White House has been dis
charged too soon"
Throughout the treaty controvers.
the tendency Of the republicans ha
been to exculpate Mr.. Lansing fror
any blame that may be attached t
the peace negotiations and when tn
secretary appeared before the for
eign relations committee last sum
mer there was said 10 be a genera
understanding among republica
members that he was not 70 be eros
examined or put in an embarrassin
position over the questions abou
which he indicated that he was pei
mitted by the president TO kno'
nothing.
Il apprehend that neither the pre-.
ident nor Mr.. Lansing. if the
were free to speak, would deny tha
il was Mr.. Lansing's dissatisfactio