The Washington herald., 1918-11-30
Own Ambition Thwarted
by Wilson Decision to-
Run Again.
WANTED JOB FOR SELF
Difference Over Govern
ment Ownership Policy
Also Played Part.

from the Secretaryship of the
Treasury because of a serious diff
ference of opinion with the Presi-
dent.
Mr.. Wilson has about deter
mined, it seems, to become can
didate for a third term as Presi-
dent in 1920. This decision
shocked and disappointed Mr.. Nc
Adoo. Mr. McAdoo has been
fully justified, his friends believe,
in feeling that he is entitled to the
Democratic nomination for Presi-
dent in 1920.
Called Wilson's Bulwark.
His friends declare that without
Mr.. McAdoo's management OF the
Treasury during the war, without
his handling Of the railroads, and
without the practical, sane counsel
that he has given to the President
during these six years, Mr.. VIII
sons administration would have
been failure.
Mr.. McAdoo had felt right along
that he enjoyed the Presidents
good will as looking forward to
1870. When, very recently, he
woke up to the fact that the Presi-
ident had other plans, his sense Of
chagrin and disappointment were
so great that he felt that he could
not remain longer in the Presi-
dents official family. That is the
truth.
DIner on Policies, Too
There is another subject on which
Mr.. BIcAdoo has found himself in
disagreement with the President. The
President has gradually come round
20 the belief, according 10 the views
Of his few intimate friends, that the
administration should. in the near fu-
ture, commit itself to a policy of per-
nnanent public ownership OF the rail-
ways, Of the steamship lines, and,
eventually. Of public utilities generally.
Mr.. Justice Brandeis. for whose intel
Hgence and opinion the President has
q profound admiration, has long held
such views And the President has
recently come to adopt them.
The reason for this conversion on
the part of Mr.. Wilson is not chiefly
because he has made a profound eco
nomic study Of the problems u trans
portation; not because he has been
theoretically convinced that govern
ment ownership must in itself, be a
good thing; but because he has arrived
} at the Judgment that the world is
4 moving along so fast that unless the
administration brings about a policy
! like public ownership, the radical ele-
ment OF the country Is likely to take
hold Of the situation and bring into
being such a policy with a jolt that
will be disastrous to the community.
In other words. as yet this new policy
on the Presidents part may be classed
as one OF expediency rather than con-
yiction-
Can't Get Together
unqualnfedly disagrees. Whether his
administration Of the railways. has
been the thing to show him the evils
OF permanent government railroad
ownership or not. or whether it is
some other factor. is immaterial. 1t
Is sufficient to say that he and the
President disagree on this vital point
of the administrator policy, snd
when Mr.. NdAdoo found that the
President had made up his mind
upon 1t, that fact was a. oontribUt-
ing cause for his resignation.
1t would be unfair to say that Mr..
McAdoo was disingenuous when. in
his letter of resignation to the Pres
Ident, he gave as his reasons for
resignation his urgent need of re-
coupling his personal income and the
rather rundown conditions Of his
health. Both Of those reasons exist,
land both are valid. Mr.. McAdoo has
kverworked almost every day since
the war began. OF course he needs
rest badly, and no criticism should
attach to the form which his letter
/. Of resignation to the President took.
1t may be asked whether there is
any external evidence that Mr.. Nc
Adoo's resignation was determined
upon very recently, and in fact very
suddenly. Yes. there is.
Kept Plans Secret.
A careful canvass OF, Mr. McAdoo's
most intimate friends discloses the
Tact that to no one of them had he
ntimated any intention of an early
quitting of his post; on the contrary
ne had talked as IL his Identification
with the Administration until Mr.
Wilson'S term as President expired
vas a matter Of course.
Within a fortnight Mr. McAdoo
gave a luncheon in Washington to the
members OF the Federal Reserve
Board and Of the Federal Advisory
Council, made up of bankers from all
1ver the country. After luncheon he
:alked with them for three-quarters
II an hour. explaining the financial
and industrial situation as he viewed
I. going with great detail into his
olans for the future, and giving every
Indication that 1t was in his mind to
% the one to carry out the great
financial operations that he was dis
.ussing.
To his own intimates In the Treas
Iry Department he. did not say any