New-York tribune. [volume], February 14, 1920, Image 1

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Vol. LXXIX No. 26,753
[ Copyright. 1980,
New Vork Tribe?o Ine.J
First tQ Last~ ih* Truth: Metis- ?ditoriaU^AdveiWsements
"SATURDAY, FEB^Tvm^uT^TftgF
Srttnme
THE WEATHER
Fair to-day; to-morrow fair and colder;
moderate west win?z.
Full Report on LMt Pn?o
1* *l* 1* ?
<, In tirtHtrr fit** York and
TWO CENTS )W|tnln romtnatin* dlatano?
THREE CRUT?
KlMiwhrra
Wilson Forces Lansing Out of the Cabinet;
Charges Usurpation of Presidential Powers
Wage Claim
Is Suspended
Until Roads
Are Returned
_i
Rail Unions Will Reply
to President's Proposal,
Details of Which Arc
Guarded, This Morning
. j
Brotherhood Heads
Are Disappointed
Genera1!;/ Believed Wil-i
son's Decision Was in
Accord With Recom?
mendations of Hines
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13?Nego?
tiations cf the union railroad em?
ployees for an increase in pay prac?
tically were suspended to-night un?
til the rail properties again are in
the hands of their owners. There
remains as a finale only the presen?
tation to President Wilson of the
union reply to his statement, given
them earher in the day, and this
probably will be sent to the White
House to-morrow morning.
Union officials conferred for six
hours on the President's statement,
but they steadfastly refused to
divulge its contents, on which White
House officials likewise maintained
absolute silence. Nor would the
union chiefs give any information as
to their reply.
Director General Hines conferred
briefly late to-day with W. G. Lee,
president of the Brotherhood of
Railroad Trainmen, and a committee
from his organization.
Wage Conferences Concluded
This conference, so far as the-rail?
road administration is concerned, was
8aid to conclude the series of meetings
on the wage question.
Mr. Hir.es also late to-day sent a let?
ter to the brotherhood of maintenance
of way employees restating his atti?
tude toward that group's strike. He
did not make public the nature of his
communication, but it was hinted he
had informed the maintenance workers
they could expect nothing further in
the way of wage increases from the
railroad administration. Members of
the ccmniittee which has been repre?
senting the maintenance employees, i
however, denied this, but declared
there had been no decision to call off
the strike which has been set for Tues- I
day.
After Mr. Hines had given the Ad?
ministration's final word to Mr. Lee's
organization the trainmen's president
announced he regarded the White
House decision "as binding on our
union as well as the other."
Although Mr. Lee declined to dis?
cuss the next move he would make, it
Was understood he would not break
from the other organizations. It was
indicated also that he would permit the
*ago agreement, notice of abrogation
of which was given for February 23,
to remain in effect until the termina?
tion of Federal control. Members of
? his committee seemed to accept this as
their chief';; stand.
Union Officials Disappointed.
The general attitude of the union
officials, after being made acquainted ?
with the President's statement in a
conference ou the south lawn of the
t White House, was plainly one of disap?
pointment. Some of them were openly
. dissatisfied, but the more conservative
leaders urged that they bide their
'nie in the hope of success along
/*ther lines.
? Whether this attitude was proof that
' 'he President had flatly denied the re?
quests for increases or was an indica?
tion he had submitted an unsatisfactory
counter proposal was the subject of;
^differences of opinion among union !
headers who were not made acquainted
k'th the President's reply. Many of
? m had believed, it was stated, that
f compromise would be offered by the
% sident, but there was a growing!
" ief that the White House decision ?
-ad been strictly in accord with the
recommendations submitted by Mr.
Jiines.
It was understood Mr. Hines had told
the President that the railroad earn
,aSS were insufficient to take cave of j
n new pay raise. The Director General
Va? said to have informed Mr. Wilson
*'*p that the railroad administration
''?ad adopted a policy last fall which
??naed the "war cycle" of increasing the
P*y of its men, and that any further
Revision in the wage agreements could i
he made only if there was more rev?
enue provided.
W?son (Jets Answer To-day . j
Many of the union officials were pre
Paring to leave "Washington to-morrow.
Several conferences were scheduled for j
*ar'y to-morrow, but union officials
vrho were to attend expected only rou
tln? matters to be taken up.
?*he reply of the railroad unions to
? x??.President will be submitted to the
wntt-e House at 11 o'clock to-morrow
?y the committee composed of B. M. i
???well, acting president of the railway
employees department of the American
?deration of Labor; B. J. Manion,
?-fgwdent of the Order of Railroad
Continued on page three
Peter Rabbit and a11 thc othcr lovablc
R^ J .1 __ 171 _ ? characters of thc Green
e?ily t ox ,, . . *,, n
-, 1 /-11 1 Meadows and thc Green
JOh?iny ChllCk Forest that have made the
"Bedtime Stories" of Thornton W. Burgess so popular with
children the country over will appear exclusively in New York
in The Tribune daily beginning next Tuesday.
Leave a standing order with your newsdealer for The
Tribune.
Women Voters Hail 'Liberty'
As National League Is Born
Celebration, Such as Suffrage Cause Never Has
Known Before, Marks Passing of Association ;
Wilson Indorses New Organization
By Emma Bugbee
CHICAGO, Feb. 13. ? President Wilson indorsed the League of
Women Voters in a telegram of congratulation sent to the fifty-first and
last annual convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Asso?
ciation, which opened in the Congress Hotel to-day.
The telegram, which was addressed to Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt,
president of the National Association, read: ?
"Permit me to congratulate your association upon the fact that
its great work is so near its triumphant end that you now can merge
it into a league of women voters to carry on the development of good
citizenship and real democracy, and to wish for the new organization
the same success and wise leadership. WOODROW WILSON."
The President's telegram was read at?
the close of a "victory demonstration" ;
such as the sedate annals of woman j
suffrage never before recorded. Gray1
haired women marched through the
room blowing tiny yellow horns, their
wrinkled cheeks puffed crimson and
the tears glistening in their eyes.
"Woman's Liberty Bell"
Over their heads a "woman's liberty
bell pealed the end of the fifly-one
years of struggle for Federal woman
suffrage. The .shrill tones of the small j
bell unloosed the tomboy in those'
austere women, who at other suffrage!
conventions have done nothing more
hilarious than pass resolutions and
listen to the slow-moving chapters of
their long history.
To-day they jumped on chairs, wav?
ing yellow flags and blew their horns
in their neighbors' faces. They
laughed and cried and burst into hys?
terical little snatches of the Doxology |
and "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah."
Th merrymaking reached its climax
when a procession appeared headed by
the figures of a donkey and an ele?
phant. They bowed to right and left
as the 2.000 women greeted them with
redoubled horn power and then made
their way to the platform, where they
pompously offered a hand to Mrs. Catt.
Sho shook hands with each gravely,
while the convention rocked with
laughter and every one of the 2,000
delegates watched her face for an ex?
pression of her preference as to po?
litical party.
Embraces the Elephant
The great game of this convention
is watching the two political partie.;
vie with each other for the women's
favor, and especially for Mrs. Catt's
indorsement. With a perfectly grave
face, however, she passed the two
party mascots on to Miss Mary Gar
rett flay who throw her arms urour.d
the neck of the elephant, but gave the
donkey the handshake of diplomacy.
Mrs. Alfred B. Buschman, of St. Louis,
supplied the motive power for the ele?
phant and Mrs. Mary Semple Scott for
the donkey.
Next Mrs. George Gellhorn, presi?
dent of the Missouri League of Women
Voters, jumped on a chair and shouted
to the crowd to join with her in recit?
ing the pledge to the flag. The horns
were hushed; American flags were
?raised, and still standing on thoir
chairs with right hands raised as school
children are taught to raise them, the
suffragists repeated: "I pledge alleg?
iance to my flag and to the country
for which it stands."
The New York delegation, headed by
Mrs. Frederick Nathan, tttracted at?
tention by starting a little local propa?
ganda.
"Who started all this?" yelled Mrs.
Nathan, her hands cupped before her
lips, while she strove to make herself
heard above the uproar, "Who led thc
way? New York! New York!"
Then they all stood up on their
chairs?Mrs. Frank Vanderlip, Mrs.
James Lees Laidlaw, Mrs. Louis Slade,
Miss Adella Potter, Mrs. William G.
Willcox and Dr. Katharine B. Davis?
and repeated their boast in unison.
It was three-quarters of an hour be?
fore Mrs. Catt could quiet the women
sufficiently to carry on the business of
the convention, and, as this business
was a telegram sending thanks to
President Wilson for his good wishes,
it was only a signal for more skylark?
ing.
"I hope you are not under the illu?
sion that we vote with horns," she
cried in despair, aB the women ignored
her call f.ir ayes and noes, and rverely
wert on tooting.
"Kindly pack ^ 7 ur horns ia yo.ur
old handbags," she Hashed again.
Oldest Suffragist There
In the front row enjoying the turiVult
1 iftened, perhapp, a bit by her ear
trumpets), was the oldest delegate to
the convention, Mrs. Helen Aiken
Starre?, of Portland, Ore., eighty
years old, the only surviving delegate
to the first national suffrage conven?
tion held in Washington in 1869.
Another delegate, Mrs. Mary E.
Bundy, is also eighty years old. while
Alice Stone Blackwell, daughter of
Lucy Stone, has the distinction of hav?
ing attended thirty annual conventions.
The Rev. Olympia Brown, one at the
oldest suffragists In the country and a
pioneer woman minister, took part In
the victory demonstration, a pictnr
Continued on page eleven
GOOD MORNING: ...W _..... -
If you dtdn^t ?et Just the rl*ht help tor
th? position why not call the Good Morn.
Ids Ctrl, Bwkm*n 8000, *5jL????rt an ?d?
vsrtlsemont lu tomorrow's fSifcttae??Adtt.
Aid Reaches U. S.
Ship on Fire Off
Coast of Jersey
Wireless From Panaman
Says She Is Standing by
the Wm. Henry Webb
The steamship Panaman wirelessed
to New York shortly before midnight
that she was standing by the United
States Shipping Board vessel William
| Henry Webb, which was reported crip?
pled and afire about three miles off the
New Jeresy coast, between Beach
Haven Bnd Tucker Beach Light. The
message said the Panaman would take
the Webb in tow this morning and that
it was not believed the assistance of
the coast guard would be required.
| The Webb carries a crew of forty.
The coast guard cutter Seneca, which
| was already at sea in response to a
distress call from the Avondale, another
Shipping Board boat, started for the
William Henry Webb on learning by
wireless of its plight.
Wireless appeals for help sent out by
the William Henry Webb were so
urgent in tone, demanding "immediate
< assistance," that it was thought the lire
i was out of control. There was a heavy
I sea running, making it impossible for
j the Coast Guard to reach the burning
I vessel with a boat from shore. The
I Seneca can scarcely reach the scene
before 7 a. m.
The City of Montgomery, a coast?
wise boat, picked up the Webb's SOS
and replied that she might be along?
side by midnight. A late wireless from
the Webb declared that if the flames
were not under control by midnight
the vessel would be abandoned. An?
other message sent out late in the
afternoon was:
"On fire and in need of immediate
assistance. In vicinity of Coast Guard
Station No. 118, near Beach Haven,
N. J. Want help quick."
The vessel sailed from Philadelphia
Thursday for New York.
-_?-_
Legislature to Vote
War Service Bonus
! Republican Leaders Agree
| on Early Action to Re
! ward Men and Women
From a Staff Correspondent
ALBANY, Feb. 13.?A state bonus for
every man or woman of New York
State who served the country during
the World War will be provided by the
present Legislature. Speaker Thad
deus C. Sweet of the Assembly an?
nounced to-day that the Republican
legislative leaders, at a conference, had
discussed the question from all angles.
"The conclusion arrived at," he 3aid,
"was that legislation be prepared for
early introduction tending to provide
a state bonus for the service men and
' women as just recognition of the part
| they played in the military and naval
?establishments of the United States in
I the World War. Tne exact details of
the form of the legislation were left
for later consideration, when an oppor?
tunity would be offered for a confer?
ence with officers of the American
Legion of the State of New York."
There are now thirty-three bills be?
fore the Legislature providing benefits
for World War veterans, bub- it is ex
!pected that the leaders will adopt an
entirely new program. These bills pro?
vide for memorials, tax exemptions and
civil service preference, besides several
bonus measures.
i?. .i?
Mor? Sinn Feiner? Seized
DUBLIN, Feb. 13,?Several Sinn
Felners were arrested In the course of
a round-up by military forces in this
city earfy to-day.
Snow Choked
City Facin
Food Famine
Business to Halt To-day
as 10,000 Members of
American Legion Re?
spond to Mayor's Call
$2,290,000 Voted
To Clean Streets
Coal Shortage Also Is
Menace and Fire Danger
I Looms as Great Peril
Confronted with the double men?
ace of a food and fuel famine, busi?
ness in Manhattan will come to a
I virtual standstill to-day, in order to
! permit use of every available man in
the task of clearing the streets for
traflic.
City officials and business men de?
cided that only the most drastic
measures would meet the situation
when, late yesterday afternoon, it
was found that the city's supply of
fresh food was almost at an end and
that means of delivery of the food
already in the Manhattan markets
were useless in the face of the snow
clogged streets.
Means Taken to End Menace
Action that immediately followed
may be summed up thus:
Appropriation by the Board of
Estimutc of $2,290,000 tu be used In
clearing thc streets for the delivery
of tho necessities of life.
The summoning of the American
Legion to aid in the task of clear?
ing away the snow and ice, with the
result that not fewer than 10.000 of
the Legion's membership arc ex?
pected to swing shovels and picks
in the city to-day.
The calling of a conference of
market and fresh food dealers by
Health Commissioner C^peland for
the purpose of devising means of
keeping up emergency delivery of
fresh foods.
Announcement by the Master
Truckmen's Association that their
trucks would be withdrawn from
service to-day unless streets were
made passable and that they would
remain in until the streets were
cleared.
Fire Hose Works Wonders
Last night, after appealing to the
American Legion for aid, Mayor Hylan
conferred with Fire Commissioner
Drennan. At the conclusion of their
talk Mr. Drennan issued a special call
to Engine Company 15, ordering them
to street cleaning duty with hose and
shovel.
The hose was coupled to a high
pressure hydrant. Twelve men clung
to it as it writhed like a python under
the kick of water at 140 pounds press?
ure. The heavy stream was turned on
the hummoeked surface of Liberty
Street, almost impassable beouuse of
slush arid lumps of snow-ice.
The p<*Ca had been softened by .the
warm day. It broke and melted away
before the tearing force of the ho<e
stream. Other firemen with Ion?.;
handled shovels and bars broke up the
large pieces as they floated into the
gutters and kept the opening of the
sewers clear.
In fifteen minutes the men with the
hose had accomplished more than four
times their nurnber could have done in
several hours with pick and shovel.
"The greatest piece of work the city
has seen in some time," Mayor Hylan
told Commissioner Drennan and Fire
Chief Kenlon, who, with him, were
spectators.
After the crossing at Liberty Street
and Broadway had been cleared, the
firemen moved into Wall Street, flush?
ing this from Broadway to Broad and
Nassau streets. Pine, Liberty, Cort
landt and Dey were treated in the same
way.
Until an early hour this morning, tho
firemen were still at work. Chief Ken?
lon continued his supervision.
The conference called by Dr. Cope
land resulted from the announcement
of the truckmen that the city would j
have no food delivery to-day unless
some action was taken immediately.
H. H. Jones, of the State Department
of Food and Markets, immediately
called upon the Health Commissioner
and notified him of the threatened fam- j
ine of fresh supplies. Dr. Copeland
then called the market men to the |
office of Mayor Hylan at City Hall.
Mayor Hylan meanwhile had sent a I
letter to Adjutant Wade H. Hayes, o?
Continued on page six
Maeterlinck Declares West
Is More Civilized Than N. Y.
Sprcial Dispatch to The Tribune
DETROIT, Feb. 13.?Maurice Maeter?
linck, Belgian poet, has decided to write
a book about the American people. He
| announced this fact upon his arrival
in Detroit on his way to the Pacific
Coast to study motion picture produc?
tion and write a series of film plays.
The information was given not as a
piece of news, but rather as explain?
ing the difficulty of replying to a
question as to just what reactions M.
Maeterlinck experienced by contact
with the life of this country.
"That is & tremendously broad ques?
tion," answered the poet. "What strikes
me most forcibly is the great noise.
But, do you know, although I was im?
pressed rather unfavorably, I must ad?
mit, hy the great volubility and loud
voices of the New Yo^ people at their
dinner tables. I notera distinct chance
Canada to Cling
To League Vote
OTTAWA, Feb. 13.?Canada
has given Great Britain notice
that it objects to any change in
the covenant of the league of na?
tions that will prevent the Do?
minion from being a full-fledged
member of the league and having
a vote in the assembly.
The Canadian Cabinet voiced
its objection specifically to the
Lenroot reservation to the cove?
nant concerning the voting power
of league members. A sugges?
tion has been made that Canada
withdraw from the league if it
loses its vote in the assembly.
No official action has been taken.
1921 Tax Rate
To Be Raised
10 or 11 Points
Craig Says City Budget for
Next Year Will Pass the
$300,000,000 Mark; Asks
$12,500,000forTeachers
Comptroller Charles L. Craig warned
the budget makers of the Board of Es?
timate yesterday that there would be
an increase in next year's budget of
more than $25,000,000. He said this
was due t? the fact that it would carry
$12,000,000 for Btreet improvements,
$12,500,000 for increased salaries of
school teachers?provided the legisla?
tion on the subject now pending at
Albany is passed?and $2,500,000 in?
creases in the salaries of other city
employees.
To offset this, the Comptroller said,
there will probably be an increase of
$700,000,000 in valuation of real estate,
covering increased rentals, but that
this would only bring in about $17,000,
000 increase in tax collections. There?
fore the tax rate in 1921 is practically
sure of advancing ten or eleven points.
j The city budget for the current year
is $273,089,485, and the increase pre?
dicted bv the Comptroller would cari.,
it over the $300,000,000 mark.
Comptroller Craig brought up the
matter of placing the $8,220,003 cost of
the improvement of Seventh Avenue
in the tax rate for this year, and it
! was decided to do so. The apportion
| ment on the different boroughs will
be: Manhattan, 57 per cent; Bronx, 8
per cent; Brooklyn, 21 per cent, and
i Queens, 7 per cent. The Borough of
Richmond does not figure in the as?
sessment. The remainder is assessed
against the city as a whole, it being
one-third of the value of the buildings
taken in the proceedings.
Craig and Connolly Clash
Comptroller Craig and Maurice E.
Connolly, Borough President of Queens,
! staged one of the liveliest, verbal en
| gagements at yesterday's meeting that
i has ever occurred in the present Board
of Estimate. Previously the Mayor
and the Comptroller have figure;! as the
principal combatants, but yesterday
the Mayor acted as a peacemaker. He
did not succeed in restoring order, how?
ever, until the point had been reached
where the spectators expected to see
hair pulling and fisticuffs.
A perfectly innocent looking item on
the calendar was the cause of the row.
The committee on grades and sal
aries, of which Mr. Connolly is chair- i
man, reported that a modification of
the schedule was required in order to
permit the payment of increased rates
to bookbinders. The Comptroller flushed
and loudly denounced the action of
the committee. He declared the com?
mittee had no business to take this
matter up. He said he could pay the
prevailing rate of v/ages in his depart?
ment without consulting the commit?
tee. He declared that Borough Presi?
dent Connolly and Secretary Joseph
Haag, of the Board of Estimate, were
working together to make trouble for
the Finance Department.
"Oh," exclaimed Mr. Connolly, "the
board is getting tired of the bickering
and tirading on the part of the Comp?
troller."
The Comptroller fairly hissed at the
Queens Borough President when he
said:
"You are pulling political wires be?
hind the Comptroller's back with
Continued on next page
for the better as I travel West. I had
expected to find a more distinct Amer?
ican type here, but I must say that
your people are more like Europeans
in their habits and manners than are
thc people of New York. There is here
a more distinct note of civilization in
many respects."
Commenting on the American cities
and towns, the Belgian visitor said:
"In Europe we have been taught that
the American cities and towns are
ugly?that is, as compared with ours.
I found this true in the East; in fact,
until I got to Cleveland. But between
Cleveland and Detroit I discovered a
great change. I was Btruck by the
appearance of many of the little towns
between these two cities, and they
compare very well with our Belgian
or French towns in picturesqueness.'
M. Maeterlinck abhors jazz music.
"It is .vulgar; it rasps my nerves,"
said the poet, ahuddering. "It get's
my eoat."
-_?_____-????-??
Letters Precipitating
Lansing's Retirement
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13.?Following is the correspondence be?
tween the President andJSecretary Lansing:
The White House, Washington, February 7.
"My Dear Mr. Secretary.
"Is it true, as 1 have be^n told, that during my illness you have
frequently called the heads1 of the executive departments of the gov?
ernment into conference? If it is, I feel it my duty to call your
attention to considerations which I do not care to dwell upon until
I 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 departments into conference, and no one but the
President and the Congress has the right to ask 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.
"I am happy to learn from your recent note to Mrs. Wilson
that your strength is returning.
"Cordially and sincerely yours,
"WOODROW WILSON."
Lansing Denies Usurping Powers
"The Secretary of State, Washington, February 9, 1920.
"My Dear Mr. President.
"It is true that frequently during your illness I requested the
heads of the executive departments of the government to meet for
informal conference.
"Shortly after you were taken ill, in 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 for us to confer
informally together on inter-departmental matters and matters as to
which action could not be postponed until your medical advisers per?
mitted you to pasi upon them. Accordingly I, as the ranking mem?
ber, requested the members of the Cabinet to assemble for such in?
formal conference, and in- view of the mutual benefit derived the
practice was continued.
"I can assure you that it never for a moment entered my mind
that I was acting unconstitutionally or contrary to your wishes, and
there certainly was no intention oh my part to assume powers and
exercise functions which, under the Constitution, are exclusively con?
fided to the President.
"During these troublous times, when many difficult and vexatious
questions have arisen and when in the circumstances I have been
deprived of your guidance and direction, it has been my constant
endeavor to carry out your policies as I understood them and to act in
all matters as I believed you would wish me to act.
"If, however, you think that I have failed in my loyalty to you,
and if you no longer have confidence in me and prefer to have another
conduct our foreign affairs, I am, of course, ready, Mr. President,
to relieve you of any embarrassment by placing my resignation in
your hands. I am, as always, faithfully yours,
"ROBERT LANSING."
President Calls for Resignation
"The White House, Washington, February 11, 1920.
"My Dear Mr. Secretary.
"I am very much disappointed by your letter of February 9
in reply to mine asking about the so-called Cabinet meetings. You
kindly explain the motives of these meetings and I find nothing in
your letter which justifies your assumption of Presidential author?
ity in such a matter. '
"You say you 'felt that, in view of the fact that you were
denied communication with me, it was wise to confer informally
i together en inter-departmental swatters and matters as to
which action could not be postponed until my medical ad?
visers permitted me' to be seen and consulted, but I have to remind
you, Mr. Secretary, that no action could be taken without me by
the Cabinet, and therefore there could have been no disadvantage
in awaiting action with regard to matters concerning which action
could not have been taken without me.
"This affair, Mr. Secretary, only deepens a feeling that was
growing upon me. While we were still in Paris I felt, and have
felt increasingly ever since, that you accepted my guidance and
direction on questions with regar dto which I had to instruct you
only with increasing reluctance, and since my return to Washing?
ton I have been struck by the number of matters in which you
have apparently tried to forestall my judgment by formulating
action and merely asking my approval when it was impossible for
me to form an independent judgment because I had not had an
opportunity to examine the circumstances with any degree of
independence.
"I, therefore, feel that I must frankly take advantage of your
kind suggestion that if I should prefer to have another to conduct
our foreign affairs you are ready to relieve me of any embarrass?
ment by placing your resignation in my hands, for I must say that it
would relieve me of embarrassment, Mr. Secretary, the embarrass?
ment of feeling your reluctance and divergence of judgment, if you
would give 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 suggestion, or that I do so with the kindliest feeliilg. In mat?
ters of transcendent importance like ttys the only wise course is a
course of perfect candor, where personal feeling is as much as possible
left out of the reckoning. Very sincerely yours,
"WOODROW WILSON."
Lansing Long Contemplated Resigning
"The Secretary of State, Washington, February 12, 1920.
"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 hesita?
tion, as it meets your wishes.
"I have the honor, therefore, to tender you my resignation as
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 unmindful
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 moment compatible with the public interest.
"Ever since January, 1919, I have been conscious of the fact
that you no longer were disposed to welcome my advice in matters
Continued ou next page .
?;?p^ji' . t, ? . ? , r|f? , .
Breach Dates
Back to Paris
I Clashes Over
i Peace Issues
?President Bases Demand
for Resignation on Sec?
retary's Cabinet Confer?
ences During His Illness
Bitter Feeling
Pervades Notes
?
Deposed Official Declares
He Would Have Left
Cabinet Long Ago but
for Effect on Treaty
By Carter Field
From Th- Tribune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13.-Robert
Lansing has resigned as Secretary
of State, at President Wilson's de
: mand. The resignation took effect
"at once" at the President's sugges?
tion.
The President's displeasure, as
disclosed in a series of letters made
public to-night, was based on two
things:
1?Mr. Lansing's attempt, as the
President sees it, to usurp Presi?
dential authority during Mr. Wil?
son's illness. The President cited
Mr. Lansing's calling of Cabinet
meetings and also, as the President
puts it, "the number of matters in
which you have apparently tried to
forestall my judgment by formulat?
ing action and merely asking my ap?
proval when it was impossible for
me to form an independent judg?
ment because I had not had an op?
portunity to examine the circum?
stances with any degree of inde?
pendence."
Out of Sympathy With Wilson
O?The President's thought that
Mr. Lansing was out of sympa?
thy with him and did his bidding re?
luctantly. The President puts it
this way: "While we were still in
Paris I felt, and have felt increas?
ingly ever since, that you accepted
my guidance and direction on ques?
tions with regard to which I had to
instruct you only with increasing
reluctance." The President adds
that he would like to make some ora
Secretary of State "whose ml:,d
would more willingly go along with
mine."
The correspondence between the
President and Mr. Lansing w-t.s
made public at the State Depart?
ment to-night, together with a brief
announcement of the resignation
and its acceptance. The news was
given out after a conference at the
White House between Secretary
Tumulty and Frank L. Polk, Under
Secretary of State.
Recalls Garrison Case
The news was the biggest surprise
of its kind Washington has had
since Lindley M. Garrison resigned
as Secretary of War, and in many
ways was very similar, particularly
in that the correspondence, showing
sharp feeling, was given out along
with the announcement of the resig?
nation.
The sljock and surprise are increased
by the fact that the President's attack
on Secretary Lansing for calling Cabi?
net meetings is regarded as a direct
slap at every member of the Cabinet
who attended, also at Vice-President
'Marshall, who sat in at two or three
of the Cabinet meetings.
The President's first letter was dated
last Saturday, and inquired of Mr.
Lansing if it were true, "as I have
been told, that during my illness you
have frequently called the heads of
the executive departments of the gov?
ernment into conference." He said
that under constitutional law and
practice ru> one but the President had
the right to do this, and further that,
no one but the President and Congress
had the right to ask "their views or
the views of any one of them on any
public question.'
Denies Usurpation
Mr. Lansing replied with an admis?
sion that he had called Cabinet meet?
ings. As a defense he urged that it
was regayded as wise for the Cabinet
to discuss action which "could not bo
postponed until your medical advisers
permitted you to pass on them." It
never entered his mind, he said, that
he was acting unconstitutionally or
contrary to the President's wishes, and
"certainly there was no intention on
my part to assume powers and exercise
functions which under th? Constitution
are exclusively confided to the Presi?
dent" Mr. Lansing at the close of
this letter offered nia resignation at*
any time the President might desire it.
On Wednesday the President replied,
expressing disappointment at Mr. Lan?
sing's letter and stating: "I can pud