The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-02-27
OF COLBY
COMES AS SURPRISE
Much Speculation Regarding Probable
Action to Be Taken by Senate.

Action to Be Taken by Senate.
Washington, Feb. 25.-President
Wilson again upset the expectations
of official and political Washington
today by naming cambridge Colby,
New York attorney who left the Re-
publican party with Theodore Roose-
velt in 1912, as Secretary of State.
The selection caused scarcely less
of sensation than the dismissal OF
Robert Lansing from the State port
folio two weeks ago, and was re-
ceived with such undisguised surprise
in the senate, where the presidents
choice must be approved before Mr..
Colby can take up the duties of office,
that none of the leaders cared to
predict when confirmation might be
voted.
Not even among those on the inside
of administration circles had there
been any expectation that the selec-
tion would fall on Mr.. Colby, who
told inquirers today that he himself
had been given only a brief notice of
the presidents intention. Summoned
to the White House, he spent an hour
with Mr.. Wilson, announced that he
would accept with deep apprecia-
ton of the responsibility imposed
upon him and said he would have no
further comment to make until the
senate had acted.
Discussed by Senator'S.
Word of the nomination reached
Senators just as they were assembling
for the days session, and in their
private talks during the day they
discussed little else. Virtually all Of
them, however, preferred to with.
hold public comment until the sub.
ject came up formally for action.
Once before the senate had been
called upon to act on nomination
of Mr.. Colby and then confirmation
was voted only after a fight on him
had been made by Republican Sena-
tors. That was in 1917, when Presi-
dent Wilson named him to member
ship on the shipping board. 1t was
asserted in some quarters that the
reasons which led to objection at
that time need not necessarily apply
in the present case, but Senator
Calder, of New York, said he would
insist that the nominees qualifica-
tions for the secretaryship be looked
into carefully before he would vote
for confirmation to that post.
Represented America.
A native of St. Louis, 81 years old,
Mr.. Colby has, been engaged in law
practice in New York since 1892, ex-
cept for the nineteen months he was
shipping board member. During
the latter service he was an Anerl-
can representative in the inter-Allied
shipping conference at Paris and was
active in directing the boards, war
policy. He resigned in March of last
year, saying that the critical war
period having passed he preferred to
return to private life.
In his New York practice he has
been counsel for several interests in
vestigating life insurance companies
and was associated with Charles
Evans Hughes in the reform OF the
Equitable company. He served in
1901 and 1902 as member of the
New York assembly.
Supported Roosevelt.
Actively supporting Theodore
Roosevelt for the Republican Presi-
Dental nomination in 1912, Mr.. Colby
was placed in charge of the claims OF
the contested Roosevelt delegates
from various states who eventually
were denied convention seats. He
then became delegate from New
York to the first convention of the
Progressive party and in 1914 and
1916 he was the Progressive candl-
date for Senator from New York. In
the 1915 campaign, however, he sup
ported actively the campaign OF Presl-
dent Wilson for reelection.
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