Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-01-22
WHO WILL NEW
SECRETARY OF
TREASURY BE?
Its a Big Job and De-
mands the Best Brains
Available.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial to The Argus,)

a successor to Secretary Glass, who
is soon to take his seat in the SEN
ate, has occasioned many an in
Quiry, not only from persons in
this country who are vitality inter-
ested in fiscal policy, but from for
elgn countries where eyes are
fixed upon that government whose
moral influence, if not physical as
sistance, in the financial world is
unparalleled in history.
President Wilson is represented
as going over the situation very
carefully, and while it had been
expected that Mr.. Glass would take
his seat in the senate by Jan. Is,
it appears that the coming of the
Pan-American financial conference
interfered with the plan. 1t was
hardly considered possible that a
new secretary of the treasury could
be confirmed in time to welcome
the degelates. and with the finance
ministers of Central and South
America and many other distin-
guished visitors here, it would have
been somewhat embarrassing not
to have secretary Of the treasury
to receive them ALL So Secretary
Glass has stayed on, but an ap-
pointment will surely be made in
the next few days, as the Pan
American congress comes to an end
on Saturday.
Place Of Responsibility.
Rarely has there been such an
interesting situation with reference
to a cabinet appointment as that
which surrounds the naming of a
new executive for the treasury de-
partment. The man who is given
the job must have the absolute and
abiding confidence Of his chief be-
cause. with prohibition to enforce,
income taxes to collect and fiscal
policy to manage affecting foreign
governments and billions of dol
lars, the responsibility of the post
cannot be exaggerated.
Nevertheless, there are certain
people who think the president
ought to make political appoint
ment-that he ought not to take to
his bosom in these intensely politi-
cal days anyone who is not a dyed
in-the-grain Democrat. No such
considerations entered Mr.. Wilson's
mind when he picked Herbert
Hoover for food administrator, Har-
ry A. Garfield for fuel administra-
tor. Edward H. Stettinius for as
sistant secretary of war. Henry P
Davidson to head the Red Cross
and approved the appointment OF
| numerous Republicans to war jobs
And it is not generally credited
that the president is thinking of
politics at all or that he is being
| Influenced in the slightest by those
who believe a political appointment
is just the thing to hold the party
together in a presidential year.
Consider LeffingWell.
AS a matter of fact, Secretary
Glass has recommended to the
president the appointment Of As
sistant Secretary Leffingwell, one
of the mainstays of the treasury
! during the war and in handling re-
construction finance. Mr.. Letting
well came here at the request of
Mr. McAdOo to do war work. While
he isn't a Democrat in the sense
that he voted for Bryan in 1896, he
is a Wilson man through and
through In fact. if the test of
Democracy were taken whether a
man voted for Bryan when the sill
yer question was up. it is doubtful
whether half the men, in the presi-
dents cabinet could qualify as
Democrats. There will be a good
deal of discussion this year any
| way as to what really constitutes
a Democrat, and it would not be
surprising if the test in 1920 was
whether a man supported whole
heartedly the League of Nations
and the foreign policy of Woodrow
Wilson. So far as the Bryan infiu-
ence goes. there hasn't been con-
spicuous appointment which could
! be termed Bryanistic for nearly
four years-ever since Mr.. Bryan
departed as secretary of state.
Official Washington is really in
the dark as to who will be appoint
ed. The president is keeping his
own council. The secretaryship of
the treasury is about the biggest
vacancy in the government today.
Not IL Candidate.
AS nearly as anybody can de.
termine. Mr.. Leffingwell himself is
not a candidate for the post ant
though anxious to serve if called
would not be disappointed OF
change the opinions he has had Of
President Wilson's foreign policy
even if he were not named. Bu
in the treasury department it
self and throughout Washington
wherever the wisdom of making
the best appointment possible il
this critical period. is recognized
there will be considerable regret i
Leffingwell is not named. For h,
is distinctly popular as public of
fetal and hardly political type
either. The chances at presen
writing are that he will be appoint
ed but nobody but the presiden
really knows as yet.
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