The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-11-29

Washington. Nov. 29.-Discussion or
cabinet possibilities is entered upon
! with some distastc. The Cabinet IL a
matter so completely within Mr.. Haru-
authoritative con possibly be said with
out u knowledge OF his mind, ana 4
, knowledge OF his mind is exactly what
nobody IL authorized TO convey.
| 1t Is true. of course. that CaDinet APP
pontmentS, Ike all oters, are SUBJECT 10
| at least perfur~rory confirmation by the
/ Senate. To that extent IT IS legitimate
| for Senators to discuss the posslDilltieS
and for newspaper men to report what
| Senators say on the subject. II Is also
true that Republican leaders have inc
| interest in Cabinet appointments ~hlch
| goes with their responsibilities as party
| leaders, but this, also, is an extremely
| tenuous excuse for attaching Srcat
weight to what party leaders say and
feel.
crs do discuss Cabinet possibilities more
! than almost anything else. To good
deal of this discussion l have listened;
and what is here set down is confined
exclusively to what is said by these SEN
| ators and leaders. Nothing that is
known to be or guessed to be in Senator
Hardings mind is here included. SUB
ject TO these limitations, let us consider
| the office of Secretary Of state.
The Eight who Are Mentioned
\ fairly complete list OF the men VINO
are mentioned in this connection would
include the following: Elihu Root; Sen
| ator Knox. David Jayne Hill, Charles +;
! Hughes, ex-senator George sutherland
! Of Utah George Wharton Pepper, OF
! Philadelphia. Senator Lodge and Senator
Fall.
or this group. the first three, Messrs.
Root. Knox and Hill. are In class
apart. Always bearing in mind that no
body knows what may be the governing
considerations in Senator Hardings
mind these three are undoubtedly TO
! the front in the discussions of party
| leaders and senators. i
! OF these three. Senator ?;oot IS con-
! coded by everybody, including those who
| are working against him. 10 have the
/ largest equipment of experiences. 1t -
true that Senator Knox matches him In
the fact that he. like Mr.. Root, has al
ready filled II term as Secretary OF state.
have already held the office, It still
remains true that Mr.. Root has had very
much the greater experience in interna-
tional affairs.
| ence in what is. or ought to be. the
| chief duty Of the next secretary of
state-the business OF bringing about
/ international relations looking toward
| the maintenance of peace ana the re-
duction of ornaments. In this held of
; the arbitration and adjudication OF in
ternational disputes Mr.. Root has ben
| for moro than twenty years the fore,
| most figure in the United States and
| probably in the world. AS everybody
! peace which Mr.. Root has long worked
! TO bring about differs markedly from
| the League Of Nations in form. al
though 4.e Ssesss y' oppossd TO
The objections put forward by those
| who are avowedly doing what they can
! to prevent the choice Of Mr.. Root are
two. One. when expressed IN private
| conversation, is entirely frank. 1t
comes from the more determ; ned oppo-
nents OF the League of Nations. from
| the extreme "irrcconcilables: They say
! that Mr.. Root has recently been too
/ close to the League Of Nations; that ne
, has. in fact. within the last six months
! acted as an agent Of the League or Ma
! tons. and that this fact would disQuali-
| fy him as secretary Of state from act
| ing as strongly as these irreconciIa
bles" want the United States to act In
! those dealings with the League OF Ma
! lions that, the immediate future holds
| out. They don't want secretary OF
( state who is sympathetic TO the league
, or to the purposes OF the league; they
want a secretary Of state, to put II bald
| ~. who will do what he can to kill the
! league. , l.,
Mr.. Root is that he Is too old; TINS
| objection Is not based on good fatth.
Every body who has had any contact
with Mr.. Root recently knows that. FAR
| from showing the impa irment Of nge, he
| is in extraordinary good cond't!o phys
| ically and intellectually.
Most Of those who make this opjcc
| ton to Senator Root say In the next
! breath that Knox would be an Ideal
| secretary of state; but persons who have
| had contact with both men know thdt
| Knox, at SIS. Is fully as old man as
Root at rs. In fact. Senator Knox !, Is
known not TO have the best OF health
and even those who would most ar
| IDENTITY prefer Knox because or his OPP:
| position to the League Of Nations admit
| that his health Is a handicap.
| The truth is. this objection to Root IS
not put forward in good faith. II comes
| from the same leaders who object 20
| Mr., Root because Of his suspected sym
pathy with preserving the league with
| notifications.
Some camouflaged Propaganda-
A third tSHlg frequently said in these
! discussions Is that Mr.. Root docSn I
| want the post or wouldn't take IT. TINS
! also Is unfriendly propaganda. camou-
| flaged as solicitude for Mr.. Roots com
| fort or desires.
II is true that Mr.. Root needs no
! further public honors TO make his
| career exceptionally rich IN them. II
| Is also true that when Mr.. Root quit