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I JIAKCH, 1920 .
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The Commoner
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Sec'y Lansing Leases
Cabinet
The following letters exchanged between
President Wilson and Secretary .of Slate Lana'ng
are self explanatory: . V -
The White House.
1 Washington, 7.0Teb., 1920.
ify Dear Mr. Secretary:
Is it true, as I have been told, that during
my illness you have frequently called the heads
of the executive departments of the Govern
ment into conference? If it is,.l feel it my duty
to call your attention to considerations wh'ch
I do not care to dwell upon until 1 learn from
you yourself that this is the fact. Under our
constitutional law and practice, as developed
hitherto, no one but the President has the right
to summon the heads of the executive depart
ments into conference, and no one but the
President and the Congress has the right to arik
their views or the views, of any one of them on
any public question,
I take this matter up with you because in the
development of every constitutional 'system,
custom and precedent are of the most serious
consequence, and I think we will all agree in
desiring not to lead In any wrong direction. I
have therefore taken, the liberty of writing you
to ask you this question, and I am sure you will
be glad to answer,
J am happy to learn from your recent note to
Mrs. Wilson that your strength is returning.
Cord'ally and sincerely, yours"
WOODROW WILSON.
Hon. Robert Lansing, Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State, .
Washington,- Feb. 9, 1920. ,
My Dear Mr. President; v . - , ' . ' " ' '
It is true that frequently during your, illness. I
requested the heada of. the .executive' departments
of the Government to meet for informal con
,,erencpv ..,;, .... rl , . " SX" .. '" ;;,
Shortly after ypu were tak,eh ill m October
certain members . of the Cabinet, of which I was
one, felt that in view of the- fact that we were
denied communication with .you it was, wise. Tor
up to confer informally together on. interde
partmental matters, and matters as to which ac
tion could not be postponed until your medical
advisers, permitted you to pass u,pon them.
Accordingly I, as the ranking member, re
quested the. members of the Cabinet to assemble
for such informal conference; and in view of the
Jjutual benefit, derived the , practice was con
tinned. I can , assure you that it" never for a
moment .entered. my. mind .tha't I was acting un
constitutionally or contrary to your wishes, and
there certainly was no intention on, 'ray part to
, assume powers.. ajid exercise, functions which un
der the Constitution are exclusively .confided to
the. President.
fi D1urIne these troublous times, when many dif
newt and vexatious, .questions have . arisen and
when In the circumstances I have been deprived
oi your guidance and direction, it has been; my
constant endeavor to carry, out your policies as
understood tfcem and to act in all. matters as
1 DTeeved you would wish me to at.
However, you think that I have failed in
y loyalty to you and if. you no longer have con-.
"uence in me and prefer to have another conduct
prJR,f?ret.en. affairs, I am, of course, .ready, Mr.
i2?en ' to relteve you any, embarrassment by
am, as
5SJ ? , resignation, in your hands: I
Rway8, faithfully, yours,' " '
ROBERT, LANSING.
The White.House, T . ' .., ..-, ..
uvTW xr Washington,. Feb. 11, 1920.
A1y Dear Mr, Secretary: .
' FeTruIr7QTCl1 ?i8aPPinted by Tour. letter
tho I ,5 Cabnet meetings. You kindlv explain
a motives of these meetings, arid Ifind noth-
your letter which justifies your assump
tion np wor wnjen austines your assump
Yon ?f presidential. authority in such a matter.
you 7 . .'nai. ifr view or, ine iaut iaa.v
'WiLf denteu" communication with me, it was
..:7 l0 confer- informallV.nP'AthAr rin iritflrde
tion vJjW miro and matters as to which
bSS mheiCh aCUOn CUld not h-e
iJ thlf ' Mr' cretary, only deepens ffiei
stiU fn tS BTrrWAng Upon me Whll we wore
over ,Sii ill v"' and HaVe felt increasingly
ever since, that you accepted my guidance and
direction on questions with regard to which I
uctanPnIU8t7Ct.yU nly wIt" increasTng re-
uctance, and since my return to Washington
1 have been struck by the number of matters
k i y0t! ?aV, aPDarently tried to forestall
my judgment by formulating action and merely
asking my approval when it was impossible for
mw ?rm.an IndePendont judgment, because
l bad not had an opportunity to examine the cir
cumstances with any degree of independence.
I therefore feel that I must frankly take ad
vantage of your kind suggestion that if I should
prefer to have another to conduct our forolgn
affairs you are ready to relieve me of any embar
rassment by placing your resignation in my
hands, for I must say that it would relieve mo
of embarrassment, Mr. Secretary, tho embar
rassment of feeling your reluctance and diverg
ence of judgment, if you would givo your present
office up and afford me an opportunity to select
some one whose mind would more willingly go
along with mine.
I need not tell you with what reluctance I
take advantage of your suggeston,' or that I do
so with the kindliest feeling. In matters of
transcendent importance like this the only wise
course is a course of perfect candor, where per
sonal feeling is as much as possible left out of
the reckoning. Very sincerely, yours,
WOODROW WILSON. .
Hon, Robert Lansing, Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State,
Washington, Feb. 12, 1020. .
My Dear Mr. President:!
I, wish to thank you sincerely for your candid
letter, of the 11th, in which you state that my
resignation would be acceptable to you, since it
. relieves me of the responsibility for action
. which I have been contemplating . and which I
can now take without hesitation, as it meets your
wishes.. . ... . ,' ,
. I have the honor, therefore, to tender ypu
my resignation a.s Secretary of State, the same
to take effect at your convenience.
In thus severing our official association I feel,
Mr. President, that I should make the following
statement, which I had prepared recently and
which will show you that I have not been un
raindful that the continuance of our present
relations was impossible and that I realized that
it was clearly my duty to bring them to an end
at the earliest monient compatible With the pub
lic interest.
Ever since January; 1919, I have been con
scious, of the fact that you no longer were dis-'
posed to welcome my advice in matters pertain
ing to the negotiations in Paris, to our foreign
service, or to internat'onal affairs in general.
Holding these views, I would, if I had con
sulted my personal inclinaton alone have re
signed as Secretary of State and as a commis
sioner to negotiate peace. I felt, however, that
such a step mght have been misinterpreted,
both at home and abroad, and that it was my
- duty to cause you no embarrassment jn carry
ing forward the great task in which you were
ttpoSweiderred in this, but if I did it was
with the best of mot.ves.
When I returned to Washington in the latter
part of July, 1919, my personal wish to resign
wi rmt riianued. but again I felt that loyalty
?o you and my duty to the administration com
iyT a tn rlpfer action as my . resignation
SSih? ha?e been niisconstrued into hostility to
S? SattaS of the treaty of peace or at
Lst into d approval of your views as to the
- !1 of 'ratification. I therefore remained silent,
f? TiinV v comment on the frequent reports
avoiding any comment t Suhsequent-
ffwZXSSto"". during which I have
nUOUseenyou, imposed upon &
least,! f$?lt astote until your
ilaCSAffll W-ume again full di
rection of foreign affairs. z hfld
BeliS mv res gnat on when my only doubt as
prepared rayj.cJ1f?lacinc it irt your hands was
i. 1ia nronrlety .or.piacini, ii j lf.-,.n
'0 tbLrerl1X7.cVtlng that It would
b entirely acceptaBte to yni.dance
I think,. Mr-.Pr ana " ; ,h) ,;0n.esponcleiice
f ruW? ?.al S .the. impuWtlon
,, 'in', caumg-"'
heads of the executive departments I Bought
usurp your presidential authority. 1 had no
such intention, no such thought.
I believed then and I boliovo now that the
conferences which were hold wcro for tho boat
uf,cst8 of your administration and of tho Rc
pub'ic, and that belief was shared by others
whom I consulted. I further beliovc that tho
conferences wore propor and necessary In tho
ciroumstancos, and that I would havo been dere
lict in my duty if I had failed to act as I did.
I also fool, Mr. Prosidont, that candor com
pels mo to say that I can not agree with your
statement that I havo tried to forestall your
judgment In certain cases by formulating action
and merely asking your approval whon it was
impossible for you to form an independent Judg
ment because you had not had an opportunity
to examine tho circumstances with any degree
of independence. I hnvo, It is truo, wben I
thought a case demanded immediate action, ad
vised you what, in my opinion, that action should
be, stating at the same tho reasons on which
my opJn'on was based.
This I concoivod to be a function of tho Sec
retary of Stato, and I have followed tho practice
for tho past four yoars and a half. I confess
that I have been surprised and disappointed at
the frequent disapproval of my suggestions, but
have never failed to follow your decisions, how
ever difficult it made the conduct of our forolgn
affairs.
I need hardly add that I leave tho olllce of
Secretary of Stato with only good will toward
. you, Mr. President, and with a sense of profound
relief.
Forgetting our deferences and rcmomberng
only your many kindnesses in the past, I havo
the honor to be, Mr. President, Sincerely, yours,
ROBERT LANSING.
The President, Tho White House.
The White House, ' 1
Washington, Feb. 13, 1920.
My Dear Mr; Secretary:
Allow mo to acknowledge with appreciation
your letter of February 12. H now be'tig evi
dent, Mr. Secretary, that wo havo both of us fell
the embarrassment of our recent relations Witll
each other, I feel It my duty to accept your re
signation, to take effect at once, at the same time
adding that I hope that the future hold3 for you
many successes of the most gratifying sort. My
best wishes will always follow you, and it will
be a matter of gratification to me always to re
member our delightful personal relations. Sin
cerely. yolirs, WOODROW WILSON.
Hon. Robert Lansing, Secretary of State.
X.'? therefore there could have. been no
"vantage inUwAiting.ction with regard id
CONGRESSMAN MILLIGAN
Captain Milligan's majority of 18C9 votes Is a
decisive victory won against the most bitter Re
publican opposition ever encountered here. Fair
.calculation indicates a Democratic gain of 474
votes since 1918. Total vote cast was 25,979.
The full vote of the district is 40,000.
We are indeed proud of our congressman. Ho
is a game fighter in politics as well as war, and
possesses those charactertistlcs peculiar to Mis
souri statemanship, which are so highly treasured
by our people.
Ministers from our leading pulpits took the
stump in behalf of his candidacy, educators from
both our religious and public schools volun
teered their services, while laymen, regardless
of political affiliation, rallied to his support.
The strong appeal of Mr. Bryan to our voters
through his letter to tho committee was given
conspicuous publication and contributed greatly
to the party's success.
Our citizens are rural native born, and are
proud that our vote In congress has for many
years been cast consistently for moral reform
and progressive legislation.
The power of the young congressman's moral
support is ample security against the destructive
influence of any sinister forces which might
otherwise imperil his future possibilities, and we
predict for him a long, successful career. Obio
F. Davenport, Mercer, Mo., March 5, 1920.
WHY NOT TAX THEM?
A London cablegram, dated Feb. 24 gays:".
- Three hundred and forty thousand persons of
'this country nfado "fortunes" during the war,
according to atf inland revenue official, testifying
today at- a meeting of the House of Commons
Select Jomraitteo on Waf Fortunes, which Is de
bating whether this wealth should be especially
. taxed and r if so,' how.'
The evidence tbustfar given1 indicates that the
- committees-task will be most complex and dif-
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