The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-04-04
RUMoRED
REDFIELD

hEDflEIO AI1ON
Washington offieialdom is again
stirred up by a revival of the rumor
that Secretary William Cox Redfeld,
of the Department of Commerce is 60
ing to resign. The reason assigned in
this instance is that Mr.. Redfeld is
piqued because he was passed over as
a representative of this government to
the Pan-American Trade Conference to
be held at Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1t is reported that the original plans
contemplated sending Secretary Nc
Adoo as financial representative for
the purpose of encouraging the trade
relations of this country and the
South American republics. But at the
eleventh hour Assistant Secretary of
the Treasury Andrew Peters was sent
in Mr.. Redfeld's stead, thus making
two officials of the Treasury Depart
ment to represent this country, while
the commercial attaehe now stationed
at Buenos Aires, Albert Hale, will rep
resent the commercial end of the CON
ference. Mr.. MeAdoo departed on the
U. s. Cruiser Tennessee early in March,
accompanied by his guardian angel,
Sammy Untermyer, and a number OF
ladies of the Democratic social circle.
1t is reported that Mr.. Redfeld feels
the slight keenly. As Secretary of
Commerce he was charged by the
President, at the time of his appoint
ment, with carrying out certain trade
policies, which he proceeded to do with
an enthusiasm and vigor that quickly
incurred the resentment of business
men the country over. As the belted
champion of the Underwood tariff law.
Mr.. Redfeld was freely supplied with
money to defend that legislation, and
up to the time that Wilson perceived
on the horizon of 1916 a storm cloud
which looked like destruction to his
second term possibilities, Redfe1d had
the presidential backing. Whatever
may have been the shortcomings of the
Secretary of Commerce as an econo-
mist, as a worker he has been indefat-
igable. But he has labored for a tickle
leader. Wilson'S entire public career
bears witness that, no matter how ear
nest the services, he has never hest
tated a moment TO ditch a coadjutor
if his retention in office meant en-
barrassment to the Wilsonian ambi-
tions. His march upward is strewn
with the corpses of his erstwhile com
rades.
This is the second rebuff that has
been handed to Mr.. Redfeld within the
past two months. The first was in res
pect to the tariff commission. From
the time of his election up to the time
of his decision to run again, WILSON
was categorically against a tariff com
mission. Reports on domestic indus
tries presented by Redfeld were inva-
riably prefaced with a statement TO
the President that the functions Of
such a commission were properly as
signable to the Department of Com
merce, a proposition which many ap-
prove, and which Wilson tacitly ae-
cepted. But there were a great many
complaints that the Secretary's re-
ports were doctored and unfair,
coupled with which was a large demand
for an independent tariff commission,
and in order to placate the complain
ants, and to play up to the commission
advocates, Wilson put the shutters on
Redfeld, and later came out for a
tariff commission. Since then the De-
partment of Commerce has been as
gloomy as Dante's Limbo.
The refusal of the President to send
the Secretary of Commerce, our chief
commercial representative, to Argen-
tina, can be interpreted in no other
light than as a desire to get rid of
him. Certainly Redfeld knows more
about than son-in-law Ne
Adoo knows about finance. 1t is sug
gested that when Mr.. Redfeld pens
his resignation he quote Wolsey's la
ment:
"Had l but served my God with
half the zeal
| serv'd my king, he would not in
mine age
Have left me naked to mine enc