The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-12-31
HARDING TO
PICK DAWES
FOR CABINET
Appointment of Charles G.
Dawes, of Chicago, as Sec.
retary of Treasury, Appar-
ent, Says Mark Sullivan.
WEEKS TO LOSE OUT
By MARK SULLIVAN

BY MARK SULLIVAN
MARION, Ohio, Dec. 31.-To anyone
familiar with the intricate web of con-
siderations which determine such mat
ters, the overwhelming likelihood of
the appointment of Charles G. Dawes,
Of Chicago, as Secretary of the Treas
ury, must be apparent. Nearly all the
politicians, and many of the newspa-
pers as we'll have assumed that this
post would go to ex-senator John w
Weeks, of Massachusetts. Especially
in Washington and the east have the
politicians and newspapers gone on
this assumption. -.
AS in many cases of inaccurate rea-
soning it is the wish that has misled
the thought. The eastern papers and
Washington politicians have wanted
Weeks and predicted Weeks because
Weeks comes from Massachusetts, and
the spokesman of that whole eastern
section which regards itself as the
country's financial center have wished
and expected that the secretary Of
the treasury would be selected from
that background. But to anyone who
looked at it from the larger standpoint
of the whole of all the considerations
involved it has been apparent that
Weeks was not likely to be selected.
Dawes Is Likely.
From the beginning, Dawes has been
the more likely man. To start with,
the two great posts of importance and
honor in the cabinet are the state de-
partment and the treasury. 1t would
be inexpedient according to every ac-
cepted way of political thought to fill
both these posts from the same section
~ 1,~
to put his mind closely on it. it must
have been as apparent to him as it is
to anyone else who puts his mind on
1t with the same intentness that the
east had the bulk of available material
for secretary of state.
The secretary of state has always
been sure to come from the east. In
cidentally, the appointment of Hughes
as secretary of state is now almost as
sure as the appointment of Dawes to
the treasury department.
Hughes Is Certain.
But even omitting the present COM
parative certainty of Hughes at the
very beginning. IN first surveying the
field it was clear that the state depart
ment would go to the east, everybody
who at any time has had the remotest
chance to be made secretary of state
was an eastefner. Not only Hughes
but also the man who in the public
eye was his chief competitor, Root,
both came from New York City. David
Jayne Hill came from New York state :;
Knox came from Pennsylvania From
this point on, it must have been easier
for Harding to make choice of secre-
tary of treasury than to make the
choice of secretary OF state, from that
point. indeed, it is simple to predict
the choice of Dawes as secretary of
the treasury, in the first place, since
at all events the choice was to make
1t from among the men who have had
experience in banking on the very
largest scale. These men were only
TO be- found in the west, biggest city
and greatest financial center.
For considerable time it has been
apparent 10 anyone who thought
about it from Il sufficient foundation
OF information, that the treasury de-
partment was more or less foreclosed
in favor of Chicago. and in Chicago
there were just two bankers of avail
able age, there are one or two other
great bankers in Chicago, but they are
two old, the two available Chicago
bankers were Charles G. Dawes and
George B. Reynolds. both were re.
garded as Of satisfactory size.
Dawes Resourceful
In fact, | think that George B. Rey.
nolds was once offered the treasury
post by Taft when he was president
What has made Dawes the more likely
Of the two at the present time is large.
ly a matter of local Chicago condi
tions. Dawes is said to be a little the
ftI1 ~fJ l..
more courage. Moreover, Dawes has
had political experience. He was
comptroller of the treasury in McKin.
ley's administration more than twenty
years ago. Also Dawes is probably
aided by the fact that he was active
in the war. Dawes is a close friend
CT General Pershing. and either
through Pershing or otherwise. Dawes
was made purchaser of supplies fo1
the allies with the rank of general
In that capacity he is said to have
remarkable record One of the
stories told Of him is that on one oc
rasinn when he felt the public wei
faro required him to say sometime
TO Lloyd George he insisted on the
in''r"iew with such energy that hs
was described as having kicked Lloyd
y
pointed unmistakobly to Dawes and
appearances now bear out the logic
Weeks Sure Of Place
CT course. If what is here said Is
correct it will cause Harding a good
H"al Of pain not to give ex-senator
Wooks an appointment which he is
h. lieved to want and for which he
he's extraordinary fitness Weeks
when he was in the senate showed
that he knew the theory and practice
Of banking better than any other mar
in public life. He was almost as res
ponsible as Wilson was for the pas
sage of the federal reserve act and
he was even more responsible for tn
enormous amount OF care and hard
work that went into the perfecting ot
IT. In a way. it is Weeks misfortune
in this connection that he is equally
well fitted for one or two other cabi
net posts.
1t can be rredicted with great con
f'denca that Weeks will be in the cabi
not It seems likely that Harding vii
definitely select his secretary Of state
and his secretary Of the treasury ir
<r>.t.a.oS} IN pooo Five,