Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-04-02
DISABILITY RULE
MAY BE ADOPTED
CONGRESS WOULD MAKE PRO.
VISION FOR VICE PRESIDENT
TO ASSUME DUTIES.
FOUR BILLS ON THE SUBJECT
officers and Men From Each State to
Be Sent to Camp Meade, Nd, for
Six Weeks Intensive Training
Course.
gv JAMES p. HoRNADAy.

WashingtOn.-Thi congress seems
disposed to lay down a rule by which
1t may be determined when presi-
dent of the United States is SO dis
abled as to make it necessary for the
vice president to assume the duties of
the Office temporarily. The house COM
mittee on the judiciary is dealing with
the subject During recent weeks it
has listened to the views of a good
many men whose opinions We're sup
posed to be worth while, and eventu-
ally it will report out a bill on the
subject. The committee took as a
basis for the hearings it has been con-
Quoting four bills on the subject Of
fered by representative Simeon D.
Fess (Rep., Ohio), chairman of the
Republican congressional campaign
committee; Representative John ].
Rogers (Rep., .Mass.), member of the
foreign affairs committee; Representa-
tive Clifton N. Macarthur (Rep., Ore.),
and Representative Martin B. Madden
(Rep., Ill), a member of the Repub-
lean steering committee.
Representative Fess would have the
supreme court determine whether
president IS suffering disability such
as should require the vice. president to
step in. The supreme court would be-
come the judge when called on to do
so by concurrent resolution of con-
gress. Under Representative Fess
program a constitutional amendment
naming the Supreme court as the tri-
bunal to deal with the subject in
final way would be adopted.
Puts Up to Supreme Court.
The plan proposed by Representa-
tive Rogers is that a resolution from
either or both senate and house should
make it incumbent on the Supreme
court to render decision as to wheth-
er disability under the Constitution ex-
lists. Representative Rogers does not
believe a constitutional amendment
would be necessary. representative
Macarthur proposes that absence from
the United States for 80 days, or ILL
ness for a like period of time would
constitute disability to act, and he
would have the presidents cabinet de-
termine when the chief was unable to
perform the duties of the Office. Rep
resentative Madden, in his bill makes
inability to perform the functions of
the Office for period of six weeks
cause for action, and he, too, would
authorize the cabinet to determine
whether the president is incapaci-
tated
The question that has been raised
is as old as the Constitution, and this
means that it is 40 years old. Many
times, not only congress- but the pub
lie as whole, has engaged in
discussion as to how and when and
where presidential inability to per-
form the duties of office is to be de-
termined. The committee on the ju-
dietary as well as the members of the
house who have introduced the bills
on the subject say that the proposed
legislation is not directed at President
Wilson. In a technical sense this, of
course, is the fact. 1t is not at all
cestain that the legislation can be or
will be completed before the end of
the term of President Wilson, but it is
true, of course, that the revival of the
subject at this particular time is due
to the prolonged illness of President
Wilson.
The question as to whether Presi-
dent Wilson. was for any considerable
period Of time unable to transact pub
lie business will probably never be an
swered to the satisfaction of every
body. There are only two persons who
can speak with authority on this sub
ject, one is Mrs. Wilson and the other
is the presidents personal physician,
Admiral Grayson.
New Features for Guardsmen.
The new National Guard which is
being rapidly organized will take
on some features that were unknown
to the Guard before the world
war. It will be modern military or
ganization in every particular. Tank
units will occupy a conspicuous place
in it, Four light tank battalions are
included in the plans for the reorgani-
cation, on the basis of one battalion to
each corps of four divisions battalion
to consist of three companies of %
tanks each and the strength of each
battalion to be 80 officers and 456 en-
listed men according to decision of
the secretary of war Under date of
October 4, 1919.
The chief of the militia bureau is di-
rected to apportion tank units so that
they may be utilized to the best advan-
tage in training with the infantry and
so that when united the companies
will form complete battalions at the
rate of one battalion per corps of four
divisions Under existing law, the
appointment of officers of the national
guard of a state is vested in the COVER
nor thereof, and when not in federal
service no officer can exercise COM
mand over individuals or units per-
tanning to another state. Since it
would be impracticable to assign an
entire battalion to one state. there can
be no battalion organization at this