Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 289, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 December 1918 — MARSHALL SETS NEW PRECEDENT [ARTICLE]

MARSHALL SETS NEW PRECEDENT

PRESIDES* OVER CABINET AT PRESIDENT’S REQUEST—MeADOO BIDS FAREWELL. "/I ■‘™ Washington, Dec. 10.—Vice President Marshall presided over -today's cabinet meeting, at the request of President Wilson, who is enroute to Europe and set, according to the White House staff, a new precedent in the conduct of American executive affairs. No other vice president,-so. far as records show* ever -presided at a cabinet session. In taking his seat Mr. Marshall set at rest any theories that he might; be acting as president. He said he was attending the gathering “informally and impersonally, not undertaking to exercise any official duty or function.” ;.i Before going to the White House Mr. Marshall explained that the president before departing for Europe had asked him to preside at the cabinet meetings and had repeated the request by wireless from the George Washington. Mr. Marshall made it plun that he had no idea of functions of the president. No business requiring the attention of the president developed at the cabinet session, it was said, and the wireless carried no message from it to the presidential ship George Washington. , f The cabinet meeting today was the last which Secretary McAdoo will- attend, as he vill be succeeded -next Monday by Carter Glass. Mr. McAdoo bade farewell -to members of -the cabinet and attaches of the executive offices, although he will remain in Washington until January 1 or until his successor as director-general of railroads is appointed.