New-York tribune., 1920-12-30
W ashington Is
Puzzled Over
Cabinet Shifts
Contradictory Reports From
Marion Held to Indicate
That Harding Is Feeling
Out Popular Viewpoint
Weeks Case an Instance
Belief Grows That Appoint
ment of Hoover to Some
Portfolio Is a Certainty
BY Carter Field

Dy Oartcr Field
WASHINGTON, Dec. $3.50 conflict
ing and SO amazing are some of the
statements made with great positive
ness by statesmen returning from
Marion as to the decisions of Warren
G. Harding on the personnel of his
Cabinet that feeling has grown up
here that Mr. Harding is using the old
Roosevelt method of feeling the popu-
lar pulse.
Departure for Marion of Senator
Philander c. Knox. Of Pennsylvania,
who in the early speculative days was
frequently mentioned for Secretary Of
State, emphasized this feeling to-day,
following, as it did, hard on the heels
OF the visit to the front porch of such
ardent advocates of the Versailles
treaty as William Howard Taft and
Senator Porter ]. McCumber.
The theory that MIR. Harding has,
consciously or unconsciously, permit
ted some Of his visitors to infer ideas
as to probable appointments while other
visitors obtained radically different
ideas was brought up in most of the
conversations between Senators and Re-
publican leaders here to-day follow
ing the Associated Press Cabinet slate
OF this morning in which John W.
Weeks, former Senator from Massa-
chusetts, was named for Secretary of
the Interior.
Weeks Prediction Discounted
There were several theories as to the
reasons behind the inspiring of this
story, on the assumption that some one
who had talked with the President
elect gave the material to the writer
Of the dispatch. But no theory evolved
here recognized as a serious possibility
that Mr.. Weeks might actually be ap-
pointed to this post
One theory was that it was a red
flag waved to distract the attention of
those Western Senators, notably Hiram
Johnson, who arc opposed TO the ap-
pontment of Herbert C. Hoover to the
Cabinet. One Senator advanced the
idea that perhaps these anti-Hoover
men. who would be horrfed at the idea
OF Weeks as Secretary Of the Interior,
might be satisfied if their fight against
Weeks for that post was successful,
smoothed over, in their outcrcs against
Hoover.
This theory was cent additional force
because most shrewd political observ-
ers here agree that Harding has about
made up his mind to put Hoover in the
Cabinet. Another theory is that it may
be leading up to shift Of Weeks him
self to some post which, if it We're an
nounced or permitted to be stated
point blank without preparing the
ground. might lead to opposition.
There has been no opposition to MIR.
Weeks for Secretary Of the Navy, and
there has been some hard work done
to get him appointed Secretary of War,
but the fact remains that Mr.. Weeks
does not desire either post. His heart
is set on the Treasury, which Mr. Har-
ding has decided to give to a Western
man, probably Charles G.. Dawes or
George NJ. Reynolds.
Uncertainty as to State Portfolio
Another instance is cited to show
ing out the popular pulse centers round
the portfolio of Secretary of State. The
name of Charles L. Hughes was not
put forward Immediately. On the con-
trary, those who talked with Mr.. Nar-
ding early in the conferences were
quite confident, in their discussions
with other Republicans and newspaper
men, that some other man would be
appointed.
Gradually the reactions Of the coun-
try to almost every possible name,
notably those of DR. David Jayne Hill,
Senator Knox, George Sutherland
born in England-and Elihu Root were
obtained. 1t was only about ten days
ago, as hinted in these dispatches at
the time, that visitors to Marion got
tho impre ession thar the choice of Mr..
Harding for this portfolio had mar
rowcd down to Root and Hughes, all
others being eliminated.
A few days after that those who saw
Mr.. Harding got sucn a distinct i'm
preston that Hughes had been de-
cided upon that most of the writer's
from Marion and Washington began to
assert positively that it would be
Hughes.
1t is certain that several persons
who went to Marion and urged the ap-
pointmcnt Of Root were quizzed by Mr..
Harding as to what they would think
about the appointment Of Hughes. APP
parcntly most Of them told Mr.. Har-
ding that either Hughes or Root would
be an excellent choice.
Hoover in Show Window
Meanwhile the Hoover appointment
has been displayed in the show window,
with careful eyes, probably, on the
crowd gathered before it. 1t has been
roticed that the gnashing of teeth con-
tinued to be confined to small group,
while organization politicians. who
might normally be expected to oppose
a selection of this kind. took surpris
ingly to the idea. This, of course, is
merely the conjecture OF observers who
have been viewing the situation from
Washington with interest, and who
have listened with constantly growing
surprise to the contradictions brought
back from Marion by visitors.
But it is interesting to note that the
rews accounts from Marion in their
Cabinet states are following with ex
traordinary accuracy, as the entire
stage is viewed from here, these same
reactions as expressed following earli-
er stories from the same small Ohio
town.