New-York tribune., 1921-02-17
Former Food Administra-
tor Reported To Be Con-
sidering Harding's Offer
of the Commerce Post
His Acceptance of
Place Is Expected
Great Problems Of Inter-
national Trade Add to
Importance of Office
By Carter Field

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16.-Herbert G..
Hoover has been offered the post of
Secretary of Commerce by President
elect Harding and is now considering
It's acceptance. This information was
obtained from man very close to Mr..
Harding.
1t is asserted that Mr.. Harding has
decided to ignore all the criticism
which has been heaped upon the former
rood Administrator and bow to what
he is assured is an overwhelming popu-
lar demand that Mr.. Hoover be given
a place in the Cabinet
MIR. Harding indeed has told visitors
within the last week that he regarded
the Hoover appointment as one which
would please the women all through
the country; in fact, as the one ap-
polntment in which the women of the
country might be said to be deeply
interested.
News of the determination of the
President-elect to name Mr.. Hoover
resulted Immediately in arousing those
to whom his name is anathema. Sem
ator Reed, of Missouri, at once
launched drive against Mr.. Hoover
on the floor of the Senate, repeating
many of the old attacks which he made
SO frequently during the war.
Realizes Hughes's Popularity
In addition to pleasing the women
Mr.. Harding is not unmindful, it is
said, of the general popular effect of
this appointment in increasing largely
the chances of commentator of his
entire Cabinet slate. The President
elect is said to feel that the public
will heartily indorse the appointment
of Charles E. Hughes as Secretary of
State, although he knows very we'll how
strong many of the Republican SEN
ators and leaders generally are. and
how much they would prefer Elihu
Root.
Mr.. Harding believes, however, that
the naming of two men so universally
known as Hughes and Hoover would 90
a long way toward avoiding criticism
OF his slate on the point of the caliber
OF his appointees.
There was little surprise among
politicians here that Mr.. Hoover had
not accepted the post promptly, as it
IS generally recognized that, al
though the post of Secretary of Com
merce has in the past been regarded
AS one of the lighter places in the
Presidents official family, with present
world conditions the post seems des-
tined to be one of supreme importance.
Many Problems To Be Solved
The whole prosperity OF the country,
it is pointed out, as demonstrated by
the agitation which stampeded the SEN
ate to-day into passing the makeshift
tariff bill, is wrapped up in the ques-
tion of international trade. 1t is in
tertwined with every discussion of Ger
man reparations, inter-Allied debts
and many of the problems which the
new Administration will have to face.
A big man in this post is regarded
as one of the prime necessities of the
Harding Administration. Therefore
there was some surprise that Mr..
Hoover did not at once signify his in
tention to accept.
Only one man so far he's been offered
a Cabinet portfolio by Mr.. Harding
and declined. That is Charles G.
Dawes who was offered the post of
Secretary of the Treasury, as told last
here, therefore, on account of the nat
ural disnclination of any man to re-
fuse to aid the incoming Administra-
tion if he can, and on account of the
greatly enhanced Importance of the
Commerce Department., is that Mr..
Hoover will eventually accept the
offer.