The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-13
RATHER Be BOSS
THAN DIP LOMAT
McCombs Will Decline Ambas-
sadorship if lie Can Run
Wilson Politics.
VISION OF GREAT MACHINE
He Will Decide To-Day After
Conference With the
President.
VISION OF GREAT MACHINE
ny JAMES ). MONTAGUE.

Washington, March 1c.--William r.
McCombs. who would much rather be
boss than ambassador. mixed into the
political situation here. to-day by Civ
ing Postmaster General Burleson, the
politician, of the Cabinet. some practical
! advice about how ITO build up 81 Wilson
machine through the Post-Ohice De-
! partmcnt. Tomorrow. Mr.. McCombs
will see the President. He VIII not
take the porffered Enthusiastically to
Paris ,if Mr Wilson will let him stay
in this country and run the Wilson
politics
The McComhs idea is to use the sec
ond and third-ciass postmasters who
are not under the civil service as the
means OF building up the same kind OF
machine that Frank Hitchcock used to
nominate Taft in 90s Hitchcock got
his plan from Theodore Roosevelt Nc
Combs has studied it and thinks he can
improve OIL IT.
Hns Mnkings of MachIne.
Rurleson. who is no amateur politi-
clan himself has already got the max
ings of a machine together. He made
Alexander Doclse-y, n Clark man. third
Assistant Postmaster-Ge General. and gave
the first assistant job to Daniel c. Rop-
er. who is not only an Underwood man.
but a cousin OF a. Mitchell Palmer.
| Fourth Assistant Blakeslee is a cousin
of A. Mitchell Palmer and high in the
esteem of William Jennings Bryan.
! Mr.. Burleson, having done these
things, looked at his work and called it
| good. Then he called in McCombs and
asked him what 10 do next.
4 McCoI,bs was 81 delighted with the
\ prosp"ci of being ca ptain general OF n
| solified Democracy that he forgot all
! about his desire TO go to France and
Nci, irh tinI tc i,,f z f,o
! sidewalk cases For two hours he
earnestly discussed with Ru-l, 5on the
| possibility Of forming Sn i'm rCSnabie
alliance. Then he got the I'reaide It
on the telephone and naA !e ali arNoinI-
mnt FOR tomorrow. "
! After that conference lie will an
| nounce definitely his purpose with re-
gard TO the high foreign post which
| has been offered him.
| Meanwhile, the President had been
| playing little politics on his own
account between the hours occupied
by affairs OF state. He practically de-
cidcd TO back his friend, Dudley Field
Malone. out. of the colectorship OF the
port OF New York. and took under ad :
visement the name of John Purroy
Mitchell. 1t would be favor to Muir
ply 30 get Mitchell ont of the borough
: residents Office favor that could Ike
c"nfrrcd in tn" name of the good OF
lEc PARTY. Th' President has for son. e
time hcen n l;tle uneasy lib .n, sihc
! growing or,t.: OF Senate: OGo:naii
| DGi.cy Ficid N.'.one is q son. N iaw
cl tGorulaE
Northwest Recognized.
Franklin II. IL oseVelt, whose 2oji,i-
cal prominence is considerably over
estimated by Mr. Wilson, will go into
the Navy Department as first assistant
I secretary The name will be sent to
the Senate tomorrow. II. S. Rrecken-
ridge. of Kentucky. in which State the
Democratic dominance is a little shaky.
viii get Job in the War Department.
Governor Burke, OF North Da kota. will
probably he made Solicitor-General.
Thus the great Northwest will get rec
ognition. Abram |. EllSus. of New
York. Is candidate for the job but
the, presidential idea is that New York
is already pretty we'll taken care OF.
Edwin #. Sweet. of Michigan, will he
made Assistant Secretary OF Commerce.
Note that that is the first plum that
has fallen TO Michigan. which State
went for the Bull Moose in the last
election, but can be gotten out OF that
column. the President believes by a
little judicious persua sion.
Obadiah Gardner OF Maine. who came
so near to being Secretary of Agri-
culture that he began feeling in his
hair for wisps OF hay Will he taken
care Of. probably abroad.
Politically. the future OF the party
depends largely oil the conference be-
tween McCombs and the President to-
morrow. III McConbs can be given
the assurance of presidential backing,
he thinks there will be no trouble in
building such machine as has been
the. perennial dream OF Roosevelt. {
the President tells him to- go TO France
| he will sor-for q year or so--but he
will he back in the game before tho
next presidential campaign.