The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-11-12
MUNSEY NAMED IN
CAPITAL s GOSSIP
FOR CABINET Job
While Harding Seeks Tarpon
Leaders Bait InnumerabIe
Hooks for Political Fish to
Serve Supporters.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE,
Especial Correspondent Of The News
Seimitar.l

BY DAVID LAWRENCE,
Especial Correspondent Of The News
Seimitar.l
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12.-Presi.
dent Elect Harding may he fishing
Tor tarpon, but he probably has no
idea or the number of people here
apouts who. are fishing for jobs.
All the hooks known to politics
are in use. The persons who have
the real pull with T3rding are in
demand. Plans are being made by
Republican leaders everywhere to
bring to the attention OF Senator
Harding the names OF those who
want cabinet portfolios Some of this
urging is merely perfunctory--the
natural way OF paying a political oh
legation incurred by leaders to men
of influence during the campaign.
Many of the men who present names
will not be themselves disappointed
II Senator Harding politely turns
them down.
But aside from those who are
really seeking cabinet portfolios,
there are certain men who are be-
ing sought--not necessarily by Sem
ator Harding, but by others close
TO him. One of the men who is
Harding circle OF friends nowadays
is Frank A. Munsey, OF New York,
who is being talked OF for secre-
tary Of commerce. Mr.. Munsey owns
Nthe New York Sun and Herald and
Baltimore News, and has been
stanch opponent of the league OF
rations from the very beginning. The
Harding administration will feel
kindly toward editors and publishers,
anyway, but the intimacy between
Mr. Munsey and Mr.. Harding is nor
merely that of fellow editors. II is
fact that Mr.. Munsey has been
one OF the powers behind the throne
Throughout the campaign.
He has frequently been in COM
munication with Mr.. Harding, and
one interesting story Is that at a
time the antileague faction in the
Republican party was most appre-
henslve about the effect upon Mr..
Harding OF the advice rendered by
Elihu Root. message was sent 70
Mr.. Munsey by Senator Harding re-
assuring him about the league is-
sue. The message left no doubt how
Senator Harding stood on the sub
ject Of Mr.. Root.
To the outside world II may be a
surprise that Senator Harding and
former Senator Root are not going
| TO be as close as the public sup
posed. There isn't anything personal
lin II Al all--sifnply q divergence Of
| view ana difference Of opinion. Fer
! instance, Senator Harding believes IN
| exefnpting .Ameri can ships from the
/ payment of Panama canal tolls, a
| Tratter covered by treaty with Great
Britain. Elihu Root insisted pon
standing with President Wilson on
that issue. Moreover, Mr.. Root Ia
vors American entrance into the
! league with proper reservations. Sen
ator Harding may eventually come
Ito the same position but for the pres
ent he Is disposed to try out the Knox
| policy OF keeping America complete
| ~ detached from any world orsani- :
zation except one. that gives the
United States an absolutely Iree nan1 !
and without any obligation, physicai
or moral
Hearst Shares Views.
Senator Harding feels kindly to-
ward the men whose vies~s he shares.
Mr.. Munsey Is one Of II en-, Senator
| Knox is another and William Ran
tlolph Hearst is another. The part
that MIR. Hearst played In the cam
paign--his opposition TO the league o.
| nations--was especially pleasing 20
the folks at Marion. II Is signhcant
that what one hears at Marion as the
reason for not selecting Eilihu Root
to the cabinet---his alleged connec-
tion "ytth international bankers'--is
exactly what Mr.. Hearst has been
saving and still says Of the former
secretary of state. Mr.. Hearst mas
telegraphed HIS various newspapers
from Santa Barbara, Cal, a criticism
OF viii Hays for asking Elihu Roots
opinion on foreign policy, and says
in part:
Mr. Roots opinion, stripped Of the
verbiage put in to make 1t hard,
would appear 10 be In essence the
opinion of Mr.. Wilson and the Wilson
marty. and Mr.. Root undoubtedly be-
longs to the Wilson party. along with
Mr. Lamont. Mr.. Morgan and other
international bankers. Why Mr.
Roots ideas should be asked on aues-
tions of foreign policy and American
public opinion by Mr.. Hays Is a
matter Of much mystery. unless, per-
haps, there is a sort, OF connection
that the public does not know about
between the incoming Republican
administration ard Mr.. Roots en-
ployers-the international bankers. II
there is such n connection, the pub
llic can best learn Il ~ watching the
attitude of Mr.. Harding's adminis-
'~n''oN toward Mr. Root
Publisher Against Root.
The inference may be drawn that
Mr.. Hearst doesn't believe there is
going to be much connection he
tween Mr.. Root and the Harding ad-
4rinistration, and that he feels sure
of IT, Anyway, people at Marion who
know Hardlng's views talk about
Root in exactly the same phrases az
used by Mr.. Hearst.
All this may sound like premature
strife inside the Republican party
The fact is the lines Of cleavage de-
Veloped during the campaign and
have been known to most everybody
on the inside. but II Is only now thai
the news of IL is coming out.
The importance Of Il Ia that Sena-
tor HARDING is showing a friendlinest
to the policies Of Mr. Hearst and Mr.
Munsey and that these two men will
be more influential in the next ad-
. ministration than any two editors ID
the United States have ever been In
the past. Senator Harding consci-
entiouslv believes in eNempting
. American ships from Panama canal
tClls He Is steadfastly opposed &c
foreign entanRlements of any kind
and he Is naturally sympathetic with
those who are sympathetic with him
Copyright, 1920, by David Law
rence)
FARMERS TO ORGANIZE.