Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-12-31
WILSON KEEPS SILENT
ABOUT CABINET JOBS
He Has Held Many Confer
enceS but Has Announced
Nothing
By RALP Hs11IrH.

STAUNTON, Va, Dec. 2S.-Twelve
days ago when President-elect Wilson
returned from Bermuda, it was believed
that a few days at Trenton with the
politicians would suffice to give the
country a line on the personnel Of the
Democratic cabinet. Such has not been
the case. Today there is more uncer-
tainty, If possible, than there was when
Mr.. Wilson landed from the steamship
Rermudian at the dock in New York.
A number Of notable interviews at
Trenton between Mr.. Wilson and men
prominent in the Democratic party have
served only to complicate matters. Mr..
Wilson has said never a word about his
conferences, except to reiterate that he
has reached no decision about his cabi-
net, and the politicians who have
seen him have been discreet enough to
hold their tongues. The expected de-
lvelopments have not developed. That Is
all there is to it.
The president-elect has conferred a
time or two with National Chairman
William F. McCombs. He has consulted
with William J. Bryan. He has talked
at considerable length with Champ
Clark. He has discussed matters
with other notables, and the silence
that has followed all these interviews
has left the country guessing.
From lack of developments at Tren-
ton. it is evident that the country is
witnessing a brand new style OF cabi-
net-making by a president-elect, and 1t
seems practically certain that rev. II
any, persons besides Mr.. Wilson him.
self will know anything definite be-
fore March /. II he succeeds in all his
undertakings as president as well as he
has succeeded thus far in keeping his
own counsel about his official White
House family. his administration will
be a grand success.
On rejoining President-elect Wilson's
party yesterday in washington. I ex-
pected to get some inside tnforma-
ton about events that nave occurred
at Princeton and Trenton. believed,
as every one else believed, that perhaps
the corps of correspondents had learn
ed in confidence many things that they
could not publish expected there
would be a lot of interesting gossip
about Illuminating sidelights on the
wilson-B Bryan interview, an accurate
line on the identity of the person who is
10 serve at the White House as secre-
tary to the president. In a word ]
thought I would get in the know. :
But when I took stock I found that /
knew quite as much when I left Ber-
muda as know now. All that the news
paper men have been able to gather at
Princeton and Trenton, camping on the
trail of the president-elect, has been
published in the press from day to
day. and in so far as 1t reflects infor-
nation on the plans of Mr.. Wilson it
amounts to nothing
1t is possible-just barely possible,
and hardly probable-that two men may
know something of President-elect Will
sons plans. They are McCombs, nation
al chairman, and Joseph Tumulty, clerk
of the supreme court Of New Jersey
who was formerly Governor Wilson'S
private secretary and confidential adj
wiser McCombs has interviewed Mr..
Wilson, or has been interviewed by Mr..
Wilson, two or three times, and Tumul-
| ty has had many conferences with the
governor He may have impaired to
them some of his plans with reference
to his cabinet, and then again he may
not. The chances are that he got their
views and kept his own to himself.