The Washington herald., 1920-01-28
HOUSTON GIVEN
TREASURY POST
Secretary Of Agriculture
Will Be Succeeded by
Edwin T. Meredith.
POLITICS SEEN IN MOVE
Party Leaders Believe VIII
son Seeks to Strengthen
Hold in Middle West.

President Wilson yesterday named
Secretary of Agriculture David Frank
lin Houston as Secretary of the Trea-
sury. to succeed Carter Glass. and Ed
win T. Meredith. of Iowa, as Secretary
Of Agriculture, to success Mr.. Hous-
ton. Mr.. Meredith has wired his ac-
ceptance of the appointment from
Miami. Fla. and is on his way to
Washington.
Mr.. Houston was chancellor of the
Washington University in St. Louis
when he was named for Secretary OF
Agriculture at the beginning of Pres
ident Wilson's first administration. He
is an educator by profession. He was
president of the Mechanical and Agri-
cultural College of Texas from lso-
to 1906 and had previously held a pro-
fessorship in the University of Texas.
1t was he who originated the idea of
an Inter-Allied Economic Council to-
swards the close of the war.
Mr.. Meredith makes his home in
Des Moines, Iowa, and Is the editor
of Successful Farming, which is said
to have by far the largest circulation
of any journal devoted to farming In
the United States. lie is also a d.
rector of the Chicago Federal Re-
serve Bank. and of the Iowa Trust
and Savings Bank. He ran for Gov
ernor of Iowa in 1914 and for Senator
in 1916, but was defeated for both
offices. Secretary McAdoo appointed
him a member of the board of excess
profits tax advisers. MIR. Meredith
is also a director of the United States
Chamber of Commerce and president
of the Associated Advertising Clubs
of America He is forty-four years
old.
Meredith States Policy.
In statement which he telegraphed
here yesterday. Mr.. Meredith indicat-
ed what his policy would be as Sec
retary of Agriculture. He said he
hoped to work out some solution to
the problem of getting crops to mar
ket without too much lost motion,
The rapid and proper distribution of
foodstuffs he regards as one OF the
great needs of the time.
As soon as the Cabinet appointments
were announced at the White House,
the politicians began to appraise
them politically. The first comment
generally made was that Missouri
now has two Of the hading Cabinet
places, Congressman Joshua AleXan-
der recently having been made Secre-
tary of Commerce to succeed Mr.. Red
field of New York.
Missouri is one of the States the
is most troubled
about. Senator Reed. of that
State, is one of the most uncom-
promising and admittedly one of
the most forceful opponents of the
league of nations. There is to be
special election in Missouri on
February IA to select a successor
in Congress to Mr.. Alexander.
of nations. Senator Johnson, of
California, is booked for several
speeches in the district and other
orators of national reputation also
will take part in the campaign.
Count on Patronage.
The influence of Secretaries
Houston and Alexander. backed by
the patronage they have at their
command, is expected to offset the
influence of Senator Reed The
Secretary of the Treasury and the
Secretary of Commerce ought to be
potent. it is figured. in shaping
sentiment in the cities in favor of
the Presidents policy, while Secre-
tary of Agriculture Meredith, who
halls from an adjoining State and
has great influence with the agri-
cultural element, is expected to
make a strong appeal to the farm
ers.
Believing that the Houston and
Meredith appointments were made
with a view to their political effect
in section of the country where the
sentiment with respect to the league
of nations has been giving the Presi-
dent concern, the politicians are in
clined to interpret the appointments
as indicating the intention of the
President to maintain his hold on the
Democratic organization and to keep
himself in a position to WELD a de-
cisive influence in the Democratic
convention He is understood to he
disposed to fight for his policy to the
last ditch and to use every source OF
strength he can command to hold the
party organization to his way OF
thinking until the league Of nations
issue has been finally decided.
The President yesterday sent to
the Senate the nominations of WILL
lam Thurmond. of Greenville, to be
U. s. attorney for the western dis
trict of South Carolina and John D.
Evans. of Pottstown. to be assistant