The Washington times., 1913-02-23
WILSON'S CABINET
r.. STILL UNSETTLED
President t-EIect Only One Who
Knows, and He Is Keeping
His Mouth Tight Shut.

TRENTON, Feb. 23.-Oae week from
Tuesday, Woodrow Wilson will become
President of the United States. 1t now
looks as If It will be one week from
Tuesday before the politicians, journal
lists and the public viii get real
answer to the question that has been
-ippermost in their minds for months!
Who is TO be in Wilson's Cabinet?
in spite CT the strenuous efforts 10
get iIne~ on the Presidens-elect.
there is no moro reliable. authentic in
forma ton in the personnel of his Cab
met today than there was the day he
got home from Bermuda. By his
close-mouthcd policy he has done what
is probably the greatest job ever ac-
complished by a public man in main-
tanning absolute secrecy over a trench
dously big public question.
Everything thus far concerning Wood
row Wilson's Cabinet is a guess. Some
Of the guesses are good, no doubt; but
thsy are guesses, nevertheless. Nobody
save Govern Wilson himself really
knows who is going into the Cabinet.
There is reason TO believe that nobody
has been selected beyond peradventure.
This even applies to William j. Bryan
himself for two or three months slated
as an absolute choice for Secretary OF
State.
Bryan Probability.
There are several very strong Cabinet
proba bilities but the element of possible
change is ever present. Mr.. Bryan is
The strongest possibility of all. He viii
probably get the State portfolio az
nearly as political experts can Judge:
but if Wilson's Cabinet list. when finally
announced should not contain his name,
no nationwide earthquake of astonish-
snent need be expected.
The man who will be President of the
nited States within ten days is now
working on his Cabinet absolutely
alone. The ''informat ton" stage has
passed. The office of the governor Is
no longer besieged by national Demo-
cratic leaders and politicians. II is
practically deserted and has been for
the last few weeks. Governor Wilson
has had all the advice and Information
ne wants. The rest is up to him.
\ lot of Cabinet gossip is coming from
men who are said to be close to Gov
eTnor Wilson. II can be stated right
here that, so far as picking out Cabi-
net goes, nobody is CLOSE to Governor
Wilson. with perhaps the single excep-
ton of Col. E. NJ. House. of Texas and
New York, whom the governor has vis-
tied several times recently and for
whom he has formed a very strong
Eiendship during an acquaintance OF
only year.
With regard to advice. consultation.
inSorma ton. recommendation and sug-
gestion, a number of pen have been
close to the governor. But now that
z'Ihis stage has been passed, these men
are as much In the dark on his program
hut their political judgment to guide
ttem in guessing what he is going
TO do.
Nothing Definite Known.
According to their Judgment and ex-
periencc. they are making up lists, and
some of these lists will very likely be
fairly correct; but nobody knows any
thing definite. 1t is noticeable that
most lists contain a number Of names
opposite each office. The governor is
a marvel at keeping. his own counsel.
He cannot be jollied into an admission
u forced into a corner.
This much. however, can be said of
the governors views on the Cabinet:
He has beer reading published lists for
the last several weeks, and regards
most of them as absolutely ridiculous.
Many Cabinet lists have been made
up On the ground of political availa Dill
ity, geographical distribution. or the
fact that certain statesmen were "oriSi-
nal Wilson men," These considerations
will not control with Governor Wilson.
II q man happens to possess any Or all
Of these qualifications, so much the
better; but to get into the governors
Cabinet he will first have to fit into
the scheme of things, as planned by Mr..
Wilson. and Will have to possess, in the
governors opinion, the qualities neces-
sary TO carry out these schemes. Fit
ness Will be the controlling factor. The
statement has been made in certain
quarters that certain men, whose names
have been mentioned, can have Cabinet
places If they want them. Nothing is
further from the truth. The men who
will enter the Cabinet will be there
because primarily, they want the Jobs.
What many an eminent statesman may
want at this time bears no relation
whatever to what he will get
Will Be Wilson Cabinet.
When the Cabinet appears IL will be
absolutely Woodrow Wilson affair. IL
will very likely contain two or three
names that have not yet been mentioned
In connection with il. II will be made
up with a natural regard for geography.
because common-sense points TO that
But the big element in il will be pro-
gressiveneSs Governor Wilson wants
progressive Democrats about him, no
matter where they come from-efiicient
ones, constructive ones, wise ones. If
possible: but always me. who will work
along the Lines he himself has mapped
out
People supposed to be the best guess
ers'' figure that Bryan. McAdOo, Pal
mer and Brandeis are certain to go in
che Cabinet bnt when they guess bGyOEd
that they so hedge themselves about
with restrictions that their guesses lack
conviction. The reason FOR il is that
10 put anybody down definitely for
particular place. even Bryan himself. is
TO read the mind of Woodrow Wilson.
which nobody yet claims the ability to
90. He is keeping his own counsel won
oerfully. He has quit talking about the
cabinet and is just thinking about il
Men who thought they were close
10 him a few weeks ago have suddenly
Joined the ranks of the guessers upon