The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-03-05
LANSING FIRED
BY PRESIDENT
DIFFERENCES HAD EXISTED az.
TWEEN TWO HIGHEST OFF.
GALS FOR OVER YEAR
POLK IS ACTING SECRETARY
Best Information Indicates That no
More Cabinet Members viii Re.
sion.-Lane Accepts Responsl.
biFtty With LansinQ

| washington. en-. I'D. - ScCrcfOr
Robert Lansing's enforced resignation
continues to hold the attention Of of
fetal Washington and all talk center
about it. Gossip us to the probable
successor to the former secretary o
state is even suhOrdinated to discus
sion Of the sensational circumstance
and to the strained relations betwee,
| President Wilson and the former secre
| tary. which are now known to hay,
been In existence more than year.
Such terms as crisis in the cabi
net are freely used. and in sense
find color in the frank acknowledge
ment Of Secretary Lane that he wa,
equally responsible for the meeting,
t" which the president objected. hu,
the best information available in
dicateS that there is no crisis i'm the
sense that more secretaries are likely
to resign: in fact. ii has been stated
at the White House that no more reSig.
nations are expected as a result OF
the incident.
Opinion in congress continues ,li-
vfded, with opponents OF the peace
treaty supporting Mr.. Lansing's pc
Sition and talking of some action to
determine how the executive bust
ness of the government is being CON
Quoted during the presidents illness.
There is even cloakroom talk of some
sort of legislation specifically to de
fine what constitutes the disability of
a president more clearly than is pro-
vided in the constitution. So far, 1t is
in the realm of talk. No member of
congress has brought forward any
proposal for legislation.
The chief discussion seems to range
about whether President Wilson knew
OF the cabinet meetings which have
been going on for three months. until
he wrote his letter asking for Mr.. Ian
sings resignation. Probably no one
hut the president himself and three
or four persons most closely around
him can answer such a question specf-
ically. but it is being pointed out in
discussion of the incident thar reports
Of the cabinet meetings have been
printed regularly in the newspapers !;
that it has been stated at the White
House that the president reads the
papers every day. and that. in some
instances at least. official action which
the president took on some subjects
was after those subjects had been dis
cussed at the cabinet conferences.
Persons who are we'll informed of
what has been going on on the inside
hold to their BELIEF that the cabinet
We're only an incident and
that President Wilson himself. in one
of his letters to Mr.. Lansing referred
to other and more important reasons
when he wrote that the cabine, meet
ing incident only strengthened a feel
ing he had had for some time ana
that for some months he had found
the secretary of state yielding tn his
decisions with more and more reluc.
lance.
The affair is expected to come M in
congress this week.
Mr.. Lansing. meanwhile. has denied
himself to all callers. IL is under.
stood that he may spend short va
cation in Florida before going to his
home in WATERFOWL. n. Y.
Speculation as to Mr.. LanSing's sue
cessor continues To involve the names
of Frank l.. Polk. who has become
secretary ad interim by virtue Of his
office as counselor of the state de-
partment: Secretary of War Baker.
John w. Davis. ambassador to Great
Britain. and Hugh c. Wallace. ambas-
sador to France.
Although Mr.. Polk was among those
most often mentioned there was moth
ing TO indicate any change from his
known determination to return to pri-
waite life and the practice of law. The
speculation brought forth the sugges.
ton that perhaps the president might
Mr.. Baker to the state DEPART
ment, as he did recently in transferring
David F. Houston from the department
Of agriculture to the treasury depart
ment.
Official intimation was given last
night that Mr.. I.ansing's successor
might be appointed before the end OF
the week. even though it was said
there was mo hurry about it," as Mr..
Polk can serve as secretary ad interim
for period of 30 days.
Mr.. Lansing finally returned from
Paris before the work of the American
peace delegation was concluded. be.
ing succeeded by Frank l.. Polk, nm.
TO HONOR HEROES