Evening star., 1924-03-25
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

6IdTy were tic NlSiI i1io 50
be accomplished later on. Mr.. Ian
sing was unable to obtain any definite
information as to the true nature OF
the Presidents illness and the next
day he asked Mr.. Tumulty, the Presl-
dents private secretary, If he knew
whether the President was able to
sign documents and carry on his
duties, Mr.. Lansing voiced the fear
that a demand might be made TO
have the Vice President take office
under the disability article of the
Constitution. Secretary Tumulty ex-
pressed Indignation at such a pros
pect and insisted that neither he nor
DR.. GraySon would certify TO Such
a condition of the Presidents health.
Mr.. Lansing suggested that for ap-
should be called and that this would
instili confidence in the country that
the government was functioning. The
first meeting of the cabinet was called
with the knowledge of both the Presi-
dents private secretary and his phySi-
clan. DR.. Grayson attended the cabi-
net meeting and reported on the i'm
provement in Mr.. Wilson's condition.
There was no discussion at this or any
other meeting about the Vice Presi-
dent succeeding Mr.. Wilson.
Cabinet Kept FunctiOning.
In all twenty five cabinet meetings
were held, and many important matters
discussed and decided. Serious injury
might have been done the public inter
est if cabinet sessions had not been con-
vened and there is every reason to be-
lieve that a demand would then have
been made in the Senate for succession
by Vice President Marshall.
When Mr. Wilson gradually recov-
III. - H. 1f.-5a
to affairs of state he was apprised Of
the fact that cabinet meetings had been
held. He was told of the incident which
led to the summouing of the cabinet.
He was unaware of the situation which
had existed and of the practically unan-
imous belief of all his advisers that
the holding of cabinet meetings would
preserve public confidence in the gov
ernment while he was unable to func-
ton. He demanded the resignation OF
Secretary of State Lansing as punish
ment and example.
There were, of course, contributory
reasons such as the dissent expressed
at Paris by Mr.. Lansing with respect to
the Shantung settlement in the Versailles
treaty of peace. Mr.. Wilson showed
diSpleaSure, for instance, on his western
trip when he received a telegram from
Mr.. Lansing stating that one of the
of the American peace mission
testifying before the Senate foreign re-
lationS committee had revealed Mr..
Lansing's disagreement with the Presi-
dent on the Shantung question, a cir
cumstance which had up to that time
been rumored but not confirmed and
which, of course, was ammunition for
Mr.. Wilson's opponents in the treaty
fight.
Natural Cause of Irritation.
What Mr.. Lansing did as Secretary of
State-the responsible officer of the gov
ernment who must CERTIFY to all procla-
nations and whose duty under the law
it is to notify the Tice President of the
death or disability of the President ur-
was just the thing that would
irritate an individual who felt he was
by no means incapacitated. An impair
tial judgment of the affair cannot but
lead to the conclusion that the un-
functioning of the cabinet
as an entity without executive direc-
ton. guidance or authority except as
derived by implication from the statutes
was a tactful move which prevented the
unpleasant question of technical dis
ability from being raised by the many
who were opposed to Mr.. Wilson in
those bitter days of the treaty fight.
The Presidents shaky signature to
public documents and the gradual i'm
tell a story of how difficult it was for
the President to carry on his hours of
physical distress. He was incapable of
sustained effort. At first he could give
an hour or SO to official duties and later
two hours and then more as his health
matters were placed before him in the
limited time that his physicians said he
could afford to give to public business.
Unfavorable News withheld.
Unfavorable news was withheld
from Mr.. Wilson and nothing was
done that was in the least calculated
to excite or disturb. Mr.. Wilson was
given to emotional outbursts, wept
very often and grew melancholy over
his breakdown.
Throughout this period Mrs. Will
son was constantly at his bedside, as
was also his eldest daughter, Miss
Margaret. The devotion of the wife
and daughter was no small factor in
the President back to more
and more participation in public af-
fairs. Mrs. Wilson stood between her
husband and the government, indeed
between him and the outside world.
1t was she who acted as personal
secretary, taking notes and writing
memoranda and messages to the yari-
1uS CABINET OUlCeTS anu OIIlCldlS OF tne
generally. Even the pri-
rate secretary, Mr.. Tumulty, refrained
from entering the bed chamber ex-
cept when sent for. He placed his
on vital questions before
Mrs. Wilson, leaving it to her to dis
cover the proper moment to ask the
President for his opinion or decision.
She was, so to speak, the reigning
An annual address had to be sent
to Congress in December, 1919, and
also in December, 1920. On both oc-
casions Mr.. Wilson was spared the
necessity of composition. His cabi-
net officers wrote memoranda on the
topics that had to be covered in these
messages and with the help of Sec
retary Tumulty, who wove them to-
yether the documents were put into
finished form and read to Mr.. Will
son, who, with a few changes, gave
his approval and so was able to full
fill his constitutional function of re-
porting to Congress on the state of
the Union. Thus did his intimates
to keep up appearances in
the days when America really had
no President.
Copyright. 1924, by the George H. Doran
Company in the United States Canada, South
America. World publica tion rights reserved
(TomorrOvv's chapter tells Of Wood
row Wilson's relations with the
press.)