The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1920-02-27
LANSING RESIGNS
FROM CABINET
President Says Secretary OF
State Followed Guidance With
Increasing Reluctance.
TRIED TO USURP POWER.
Says He Felt Secretary Took Orders
in Paris Reluctantly and Since Then
Has Apparently Sought to Fore
stall Judgment of Executive.

Washington.-Robert Lansing retir-
ed from the office of secretary of
state under sensational circumstances,
involving personal differences with
President Wilson.
Correspondence between the Presi-
dent and his secretary of state. made
public tonight, shows that the Presl-
dent accused Secretary Lansing of at
tempting to usurp the executive au-
thority and of.being out of harmony
with the views and suggestions of the
President.
Smarting under these accusations,
Mr.. Lansing rendered his resignation
to the President, who accepted it.
Frank L. Polk, under secretary Of
state, will be made secretary of state,
ad interim, to act until President Will
son appoints a successor to Robert
Lansing.
The circumstances Of Mr.. Lansing's
retirement sharply recall the quarrel
between President Benjamin Harrison
and James G.. Blaine, which resulted
in Mr.. Blaine's sudden resignation
from the secretaryship of state. Mr..
Blaine was succeeded in that office
by General John W. Foster, the father
in-law of Mr.. Lansing.
In all its features the resignation of
Mr. Lansing is equally sensational
with that of. William J. Bryan, who
left the cabinet in June, 1915, and
was succeeded by Mr.. Lansing, who
had been counselor of the state depart
men,.
While the correspondence made pub
lie shows that Mr.. Lansings resigna-
ton was rendered as an outcome of
dissatisfaction on the Presidents part
with the action of Mr.. Lansing in call
ing cabinet meetings without consult
ing the President, it is also disclosed
that there had been strained relations,
or what amounted to strained rela-
tions, between the President and the
secretary for more than year.
The whole story is embraced in two
sentences from the correspondence
which was made public.
"If, however," wrote the secretary
of state in response to note Of in
quiry as to his motives and reasons
for calling the cabinet together, you
think that l have failed, in my loyalty
to you and If you no longer have con-
fidence in me and prefer to have an
other conduct our foreign; affairs,
am, of course, ready, Mr.. President,
to relieve you of any embarrassment
by placing my resignation in your.
hands,"
"This affair, Mr. Secretary" re-
piled the President, ''only deepens
feeling that was growing on me.
While we were still in Paris, 1 felt
and have felt increasingly ever since.
that you accepted my guidance and di-
rection on questions with regard to
which / had to instruct you with in
creasing reluctance, and since my re-
turn to Washington have been struck
by the number of matters in which
you have apparently tried to fore
stall my judgment by formulating ac-
ton and merely seeking my ap-
provaI when it was impossible for me
70 form an Independent judgment be-
cause I had not had an opportunity
to examine the circumstances with any
degree of independence.
"I, therefore, feel that must frank
ly take advantage Of your kind sug-
gestion that if should prefer to have
another to conduct our foreign affairs
you are ready to relieve me of any
embarrassment by placing your resig-
nation in my hands"
Mr.. Lansing has been secretary of
state since June %, 1915, when he sue
ceeded William Jennings Bryan. Mr..
Lansing would make no statement in
modification of his correspondence.
He intends to return to New York to
engage in the practice of law. Before
becoming secretary of state, MIR. Ian
sing was counselor of the state depart
ment. :: .