The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-23
HARDING RET|CENCE IS GREAT SURPRISE
 T0CLOSEST FRIENDS
Understood to Have Com mitted Himself to No One Regarding Possible Cabi-
 net Selections
By ROBERT Y. SMALL

By ROBERT T. SMALL Marion, O., December 22.--(SpeciaI)-- Senator Harding hns about him n null titude of real, or would-be advisers, but he is giving few men his confidence. This undoubtedly will continue to be his policy, after he becomes President. He will be a good listener, one of the best ever in the White House, but he will be a meagcr taIl<cr.
 This system of hearing much and say ing little has applied to Mir. Harding s conferences in Marion, and while the President-elect has invited to these con- ferencesFa number of men who will be in his cabinet, it is literally true that not one of the men has left the Harding offices with any positive degree of as- surance he would be selected as mem- Der of the official family.
 Senator Harding is getting commit ments from men he considers capable material, but he is giving no'commit- ments himself.
 The vice president-elect, Governor Coolidge, is one of the few men in Marion recently who has come out flat footedly and declared MT. Harding had discussed cabinet selections with him.
 FALL SIZES IT UP
 Senator Albert Fall of New Mexico sized up the situation quit accurately when he said he had discussed the cab inet with Senator Harding, but Senator Harding had not discussed the cabinet with him.
 Senator Harding's method has been to ask certain men if they would be willing to serve in his cabinet if the sit uation should so adjust itself in the course of time and the exigencies of national service should so develop to make their appointments both desirable and necessary. He has been careful to explain that a President elect in sur veying the field of men of cabinet status has to take very wide view of the situation. He has explained that while certain appointments might seem desirable at this time, certain contin- gencies might arise between now and March to make another selection still more desirable. And so. getting com mitments from various men, he is said to have inquired carefully if they would be unified" if cabinet appointment did not come their way
 HAS VERY DEFINITE IDEAS
 There is no doubt Senator Harding has certain very definite ideas as to the particular men he would like to place in few of the more important cabi- net chairs but the senator is a cautious man. He is not to be hurried with the
 
 said it is not necessary to make public his cabinet choices until the day of in auguration, and. in the meantime. he evidently intends to leave the door al least partly open so that he can make any desired changes at the eleventh hour.
 One of the most persistent rumors here as elswhere throughout the nation is to the effect that Senator Harding na +c r1a au his Secretary of State. It is said that both Elihu Root of New York and Phi lander c. Knox of Pennsylvania. both of whom have heretofore served the na-, tion as Secretaries of State, have asked to be excused from further cabinet con- sideration. There is an almost equally persistent report that Herbert Hoover has failed to give Senator Harding a commitment that he would be willing to serve in any cabinet place.
 This does not mean, of course, that MT. Hoover is to be entirely excluded from all cabinet gossip. It simply means that he is reserving to himself the better right of self-determination that MT. Harding has reserved with all with whom he has talked.
 NOT so EASILY SWAYED
 Senator Harding's reticence since he wa elected by such an overwhelming vote on NOVemDer 7 mas led those who have seen him the conclusion that he is not to be so easily swayed as Presi- dent as many persons supposed. Some of the senator's oldest friends in the Senate were not little disappointed when he failed to take them wholly into his confidence. while he was in Wash ington. They had known the senator pfeviously as man given to rather free speech. and liberal expression of his opinion. Nowadays, however it is as difficult to pry an opinion from the President-elect as formerly it was diff ficult to escape these opinions.
 In view of this change. the senator's supporters are asserting that any fear the country may have had that MT Harding would be led around on a string by Senate <"cabai' or a "sena- toriai oligarchy" soon will be dissipated after he reaches the White House. Sem ator Harding believes in party control of affairs. He has inveighed vigorously and widely against a one-man govern ment. but as the responsibilities of of- flee begin to cast their shadow over him. and as the multitude of well-in- tended counselors begins to multiply. |4le has been forced to the conclusion that after all the executive mead of the government must make his own final decisions. Free consultation is all very well, but cross-currents develop in free consultation. and it is for one man to lay out the final course.
 Copyright. 1920)