The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-24

treasury
Charles }. BOnaparte, Attorney Gen.
victor L. MefcnIf. Secretary Of IN,
Navy.
Retirements.
William H. Moody, Attorney General
Leslie N. Shaw. Secretary Of the Treas
ury. March 4, 1907,
President Roosevelt furnished the big
gest surprise during his administration
yesterday, when h. announced the APP
pointment Of Oscar Solomon Straus. Of
New York, a former Democrat, as Secrc-
tar5 Of Commerce and Labor, to enter the
Cabinet when changes resulting from the
retirement OF Leslie NJ Shaw, Secretary
OF the Treasury, and William IT. Moody.
Attorney General. are made.
Mr. Straus Is Of Hebrew descent. and
las been a Democrat most of his life.
voting for Palmer and Buckner. the sold
Democrat candidates. in 1896. and voting
the Republican ticket for the first time
in 800. when he supported Mckinley and
Roosevelt and again in 1904, when he
voted for Roosevelt and Fairbanks. He
has always been a close personal friend
of President Roosevelt
The formal statement Of the change is
as follows
Secretary Of the Treasury. George b
COrtelyOU OF New York
Postmaster General, George Won /.
Meyer, of Massachusetts.
Attorney General. Charles J. Bouaparte.
of Maryland
Secretary of the Navy Victor l.. Met
calf. Of California.
Secretary Of Commerce and Labor,
Oscar 5. Straus, Of New York
vt the time the official announcements
was given it was said informally at the
White House that Attorney General
Moody would retire on January l. 1907.
aud Secretary shaw on March 1901.
Most Of the changes viii take place. there
fore, at the beginning of the new year.
When Mr. Bonaparte entered tho Cabi-
net as Secretary Of the Navy il was the
understanding that he would become At
toruey General If a vacancy occurred i'm
that Office, Mr.. Metcalfs tendencies
have always been toward the Navy De
paTtment and he was greatly dissp-
pointed when Paul Morton was given the
naval portfolio at the same time that Mr..
Netcalf was asked 10 enter the Cabinet
as Secretary of Commerce and Labor.
Mr. Meyer, who is rich man, was un-
derstood tn be anxious to become Sec
rotary of the Navy. but there is no rea-
son TO suppose that he viii not be as well
satisfied in the Post-Ohice Department.
Three from New York.
The chief interest in the changes is in
connection with Mr.. Cortelyou and Mr..
S,raus. Both are from New York. and
as Mt Root. the Secretary of State. is
also a New Yorker. the unprecedented
situation Will be presented. when the
changes occur. Of having three men from
one State in a Cabinet Of 4 President
from the same State
But Mr.. Roosevelt Goes not believe in
the geographical distribution idea in max
ing selections Of his official advisers. and
he has said SO on several occasions. He
has mentioned that the man to take is
The best man TO be found. without refer
ence to the part Of the country where he
resides.
In the promotion OF Mr.. Cortelyou. for
his transfer to the Treasury Department
is regarded in that light. the President
has carried out long-felt desire TO show
his great appreciation for his former con-
fdential secretary. I'm whose Judgment
and ability he has the greatest confidence.
The Presidents admiration for Mr. Cor
telyOu IS Of the very highest order and
he has never heSitated to say so. He he
lieves that the present Postmaster Cen
cral Is one of the big men Of the country
whose light has in a measure been hid
den under a bushcl. That Mr. CorteIvou
will prove his fitness for the high ONCE
f-h ho Mill
President is confident
First Hebrew in Cabinet.
ar. STaus will be the first Hebrew to
serve in the cabinet of "A President Of the
United States The present Cabinet con
tains 2 Catholic, AIr. Bonaparte. and t.e
first cabinet of President Roosevelt also
had a Catholic member. Robert J. Wynne.
now Consul-GeneraI at London. All the
others of President Roosevelt's official
family are members Of Protestant denom-
nations.
With the entrance Of Mr.. Meyer into
the Cabinet there will be two men at the
head of executive departments who served
as Ambassadors TO Russia. The other is
Ethan Allen Hitchcock, the Secretary of
The Interior, who was appointed 10 HIS
present office by President Mckinley, and
reappointed by President Roosevelt In
Guiding Nj. StraUs with his two terms as
Minister 70 Turkey, Mr. Root who was
q member of the Alaskan Boundary Com
mission, and Mr.. Taft. who was Cover /
n0T-General OF the Philippines, SpecA /
Commissioner 10 and Provisional Cover 1
nor Of Cuba. and special envoy 10 adjust I
the Philippine friaT lands matter with the /
Vatican. there will be FIVE men i'm the re- |
Cabinet who have served the 4
country abroad.
Mr. CortelyOu and the two prospective /
of the Cabinet are comparative /
~ young Mr.. Cortelyou is fortv-four.
Mr.. Meyer fOrty-eight, and Mr. Straus /
dfty-five. The combined ages Of the
President and the new Cabinet VIII ne
555 years. an average of - years AID 6 /
months. Mr.. BOnaparte and Mr.. Strains
are each OF the average Cabmc, age
Mr.. CoTtelyOu. with his fortv-fotIr
years. is the youngest member of the
Cabinet circle. and President Roosevelt
CONTINUED OK sECOSD PAGE