New-York tribune., 1920-12-23
Secretaries of State and
Treasury May Be An
nounced i'm January. so
They May Study Tasks
Offer to Hughes Is
Declared "Fiction''
Senator Expected to Have
Reached Final Decision
Before Going on Trip
Prom q STAFF Correspondent

MARION, Ohio, Dec. pa plan bv
which two or three of the members Of
the Harding Cabinet might begin early
IN the coming year to function in an
informative way and act as a nucleus
about which the remainder Of the Cab
met might be built is under serious
consideration here.
Questions of the most pressing i'm
portance, both international and do
mestic, it was pointed out by men in
close touch with the President-clect
will demand instant attention after
March 4. Prompt announcement Of the
appointment of the Secretaries OF State
and of the Treasury and assumption CT
responsibility by them would permit
them to gain immediate touch with for
eign and financial affairs.
They would be enabled to attend
Congressional hearings, come into close
contact with Congressional committees
and prominent men of other nations
and assemble at first hand information
and material Of inestimablc value in
carrying out the policies to be followed
tor the next four years. In addition To
chartlng course to be followed with
out delay, their labors, it is said, would
tend to simplify the rounding out Of
the Harding official family into a har-
monious and efficient body.
Date of Announcement Uncertain
1t is expected that Senator Harding.
IN MS own mind at least, will have set
tied on the identity Of the members Of
his Cabinet whose departments will be
directly concerned with Americas most
pressing questions before he leaves
Marion early in the coming year. He
has not determined, SO far as is known.
the time when he will make those iden-
titles known to the public
Senator Harding reiterated emphati-
cally to-day. that he had made offers Of
Cabinet positions to no one 'No Cabi-
he said. "Any announcement to that
effect is speculative fiction" Concern
ing the report from Washington that
Charles Evans Hughes had been in
duced BY Senator Knox to accept the
post of Secretary Of State, he added:
"T finA this one Of the most complete
bits Of holiday fiction writing which
has yet been brought to my attention. =
1t may be stated ON unauestioned au-
thority, however, that Justice Hughes
is under most serious consideration for
that post. In the opinion OF men in
the closest touch with Cabinet affairs,
he is regarded as one Of the leading
candidates. 1t is known with equal
certainty that Senator Harding also is
considering Senator Phiander c. Knox
for the office. Herbert Hoover is an
ether leader who has not been climi-
mated as a Cabinet possibility.
At least one man is being given CON
sideration for a seat at the Harding
council table whose name. so far as is
known, has never been mentioned pub
licly as a Cabinet possibility. His
now most favorably regarded. may be
eliminated because Of inability to ac-
cept from personal or business reasons.
Senator Harding expects in the next
few weeks to receive numerous delega-
tions who come to urge the quail
tions of their candidates for Cabinet
posts.
Three Bureaus Considered Vital
The departments of Agriculture, La
Dor and the Interior Will occupy the
attention of most of these delegations.
There is a feeling made most evident
here that those posts are Of extreme
Importance to the people of every sec
ton Of the country under present con
ditions. and every section has both
Continued on page three