The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-12-02

Especial Despatch to The RetOrmer.l
Copyright 1920
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2.-Cabinet ru-
mors fly thick and fast as President-elect
Harding approaches Washington. Two
sets OF opinions are to be encountered
here: One is that Mr.. Harding has not
only not committed himself to any
body but hasn't discussed cabinet with
any one in such concrete terms as TO wall
rant any accurate speculation about per
sonnet. The other is that half dozen Of
Mr., Harding's friends have been and arc
canvassing the situation and conducting
conferences in the hope of lining aup a
list Of cabinet eligibles.
From the latter group comes all the in
formation. And the last crop of ideas
waited here, conveys the impression that
a plan Is afOOt to persuade Gov. Frank
y. LOwden, of Illinois to 90 abroad to
become ambassador to Great Britain, in
stead OF becoming secretary of the treas
uIy. The suggestion IS interviewer with
another concerning former Senator John
W. Weeks. of Massachusetts. who has al
ways been mentioned as the probable Sc
lection Of MIR. Harding for secretary OF
the navy. Mr.. Weeks is a graduate of the
United States naval academy, and while
member OF the senate committee on ma
val affairs, showed great interest in the
development of the navy Senator Weeks
IS banker and was one of the group of
Republicans who voted for the present
federal reserve act. Although he is rep
resented as not anxious for any cabinet
post whatsoever, there is a sentiment
among his friends that he would be han
pier III the seCretaryship Of the treasury
| than the navy particularly because he is
a banker by experience and likes finance.
toto H.
| Governor LOwden who won national at
| tentlOn by his business administration in
Illinois, would become secretary of the
| treasury if he wanted it UnquestiOnably,
! Mr.. Lowden can have anything in the
cabinet he wants. 1t is said that he him
self is not eager to go to Washington or
anywhere else IN public office and that
| Mr.. Harding will have to do a great deal
| Of peTsuadlng to get Mr.. LOWden away
| from his farm, in Illinois
| As for secretary of state. friends of Fl
| thu Root are insistent that be will even
tually be Mr.. Hardings choice. 1t is an
| open secret that while some of the orig
| Inal Harding men cant see how Mr..
| Roots views would fit in the Harding adj
ImnlstratiOn they admit that Mr.. Root
has prestige throughout the United
States which would give the Harding cab
| met a good start with public opinion In
other words, thew admit that the seCre-
| tary of state will have 20 be the top
! liner of the cabinet this time because of
/ the prominence of the league Of nations
and foreign policy.
Senator Phuilander C. Knox. of Penn
| sylvania IS of course first choice with
most of the Harding men who believe
| that Knox reflects better than anybody
/ else the views of the president elect on
! foreign policy. But MIR. Knox's health
| is the doubtful factor. Some say he does
not want cabinet responsibilities and
would prefer to STAY in the senate.
! Others say he could be more useful as
| chairman of the senate foreign relations
| committee If Senator Lodge were to be
! taken into the cabinet. -.-.
! Some of those who want Mr.. Lodge to
go into the cabinet are thinking of the
veXed question of leadership in the Re
| publican senate. With Senator Penrose
| i'll, the duties of leadership would fall
| largely on Mr.. Lodge And there isn't
an altogether harmonious feeling in the
senate about Mr.. Lodge. Everybody 8
! ing the treaty fight OF the last session
! Of congress and Mr.. Lodge Vas between
| two millstones-the ''reservationists''
and the ''irreconcilables" There has been
| some discussion about new leadership in
! the hope that the sores Of the treaty
| fight would be healed by an entirely new
! deal in the senate.
| Such a plan contemplates the promo
| ton of Senator Lodge to the portfolio of
| secretary of state, though it is insisted
! by friends of Mr.. Lodge that he prefers
! to remain at the head of the foreign re-
| lations committee and steer the new adj
! mlnistration's foreign policy through con
gress.