The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-12-02
Peter Treadway Comes Through With
Confession Of Actual Staying of Perce
Talking of LOwden
For AmbasSadorship
Rather Than Cabinet
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Copyright by The IntelIlsencer

Washington. Dec. l.--Caoinat rumorS
fly thick and fast as Prcsdent-elect
Harding approaches Washington. Two
sets Of opinions are TO be encountered
here. One is that Mr.. Harding not only
hasn't committed himself to anybody.
but hasn't discussed cabinets with any
Cre in such concrete terms aS I" war
rant any accurate speculation about per
Sonnel. The other ~ that half dozen
Of Mr.. HaruiuES friends have been and
are cAnvasSlrg the situation and con-
GuctinK conferences N the hope OF lining
up list OF cabinet eltEioles.
From the latter group comes all the
Information. And the last crop Of IDEAS
waited here conveys the impression that
a plan IS aroot ~ persuade Governor
Frank .. Lowdcn OF Illinois TO 20
abroad TO become ambassador to Great
Britain instead Of becoming SecTetarE
Of the treasury. The suggestion IL IN
terwoveu with another cOnccrnlng TOR
mer Senator John W. Weeks Vf MaSSa-
ChusettS, who has always been mention
ed as the probable selection OF Mr.
Harding for secretary OF the navy. Mr.
Academy and while Il member "f the
senate committee on naval AFFAIRS
showed great interest In the develop
ment Of the navy. Senator Weeks is
banker and was one OF the group Of
Republicans who voted for the present
Federal Reserve act Although ne ~
represented as not anxious for any CA
met post whatsoever, there Is senti.
ment among his friends that he would
DO happier in the secretaryshtp OF the
treasury than the navy particularly be
cause ne is L banker by experience and
likes finance.
Heretofore II has been SUPPOSED that
Governor LoHden, who won national
attention by his business administra-
:!on in Illinois. would become secretary
81 the treasury II he wanted II. IN
queseionably Mr.. Lowden can have any
thing in the cabinet he wants. 1t IS said
that he himself is not eager To 60 to
Washington or anywhere else in public
office and that Mr.. Harding will have TO
do = great deal OF perSuadng to get
Mr.. Lowden away from his farm III
Illinois. -
.As for secretary OF state. friends 81
Elihu Root are ins!stent that no win
eventually De Mr.. Hardings choice. II
Is an open secret that while some or the
original Harding men can't set how Mr..
Roots views would III in the Harding
administration, they admit that Mt.
Root has n prestige throughout the
United States which would give the
harding cabinet a good start with pub
that the secretary OF state will have to
b. the top ltrer Of the cabinet this time
because OF the prominence OF the League
- Nations and foreign policy.
XRox's Kealth Not Good
Senator Pailader u. Knox. OF Penn
sylvania. is OF course first choice with
most Of the Harding men who believe
that Knox reflects better than anybody
,Se he views ot the president elect on
:oreiSc policy. But Mr.. KroX'S health II
she doubtful factor. Some say he does
q: want cabinet responsibilities and
~o1.d p-efe- ~ stay n the senate.
b:hers say ne could De more useful as 4
.ha.-rran OF the senate foreign relations
committee 4 Senator Lodge were to be
AIKEN into the cabinet. Some OF those
VINO want Hr. LodeK TO 20 into the cab!-
.%c are thinking OF the vexed question Of
.h.. leadership IN the Republican senate
W:-R Senator PenroSe III. the duties OF
-ada-Sh.p would fall largely on Mr.
a-rCcn;o2s feeling in the senate about
d. LodC.
E;v--y body'S good humor was more or
As tested during the treaty fight OF the
a-Sc session cS Congress and Mr.. Lodge
Sas between TWO millstones-the res
"Cvat!on!sts" and the "irreconoilahles." 4"
there has been some discussion about
7"T leadership in the hope that the
ores os the treaty fight would be
E"aled by an entirely new deal in the
-enats Such n plan contemplates the
!'rOTotion % Senator Lodge to the port
roi!o OF secretary OF state. though il is
insisted by friends OF Mr.. Lodge that he
prefers 10 remain at the head Of the
'Oreigp relations committee and steer
he new administrations foreign policy
trough Congress.