Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-02-21
HARDING ANNOUNCES
SELECTION OF HUGHES
Former Supreme Court Justice
Will be Secretary of State
in New Cabinet.

III lNeW SdDtttct.
st Augustine, Fla. Feb 81 - President
elect Harding began the last week of his
| prC-inauguration conferences here TODAY
with several important questions regard
ing the makeup and first steps of his adj
minstration still undecided Definite So
! lcCtions for three Of the ten Cabinet places
arc yet 70 bc made. and although there
are indications that Mr. Harding has about
made up his mind IN regard 10 two Of
them, ne is understood to be far from all
final choice on the most troublesome ofad
the Sccretaryship OF the Navy. He also
has most Of his inaugural address 10 write
during the week and in addition must
come IT, decision ON various other sub
jccts with which he will have 10 deal as
, soon "a he takes office
The Prcsidcut-clcct is expected 10 leave
here next Sunday night for Marion, where
he will spend day finally winding mp
personal affairs and receiving formal
farewell that has been arranged by hia
| ncighhorH and friends
St Augustine, Fla Feb 81 Charles
Evans Hughes, former governor Of New
York, justice OF Supreme Court and
Republican nominee for the Presidency
| IN 1916, was formally dosignntcd by
Prcsdcnt-cIect Harding Saturday as the
Secretary Of STATE Of the coming adminla-
tration
The announcement. Cmhodying the
first official word to come from the Presi-
dent-olcct regarding selections for nom
hcrshlp in hIs family 81 counacoTH, VAS
made III a SIMPLY worrlcd oral statement
after a long conference between the tw"
men ON the forclga problems that must
be solved after March 4 Neither Mr.
Harding nor the prospective heed ot
the State Department added any formal
comment
There was no element Of surprisc ~
the selection. for It had been known for
several weeks that Mr. Hughes virtually
WAS certain 10 hc gwen the place lie -
understood "a have been Mr. Harding
chnIcr from the FIRST despite strong
pressure on behalf of other aspIrants
In making thls announcement Nr
Harding dcclIned 70 90 nto details about
the subjects dIsctisScd with Nj hughes
during thcir all-dav conference, saving
that ono Of the potcioe oi his admins
trattnn would be - lot cnch department
head spcak FIR himself Mr. Hughes
ms turn. declared no public statement
on the problems ahead would be expc
dlcut at thus tImc
Ot cour.r hc added Il appnisc
il Is = great privilege "a be invited by
senator Hammg TO seryc ~ hs admin
,stration And ! regard Il ~ an mpots
t,vr obligation to accept
II u ncrly was understood how
ever. that diplomatic appointments 80
- made ~ the outset oi the urW al
mruIstration furnished ono of The topics
talked OVER ard that thtre was ooosld
Grafton also 81 the preliminary stops +"
l,c .akcn toward an N~4ocauoa oi Ma
tgons In regard 90 appointments, the
discussion VAS morv o. less ludrhnlie
ii ,omg thc policy 81 the President elect
10 della, most ol the selections for DIP
lomaiIc posts mfil after inauguration
Although neither Mr. Harding nor
Mr. Hughes would dlvtlge the opinions
expressed dHnnC fhc,r consultation the /
general iuprce,lof among thoer close
10 the Prcoldeut-olcct IS that the ilrst
diplomatic nppt caches 10 other nations
IN regard 70 n peace association viii he +
Of au entirely informal character
Strong support for other available
ucn for the state portfolio developed
during December and January, one 81
thc most lasI>tent movements beng for
the selection 81 l.hu Root, q former
secretary since the first ~ the year
however thor, have l,ccn repeated lndI-
cations that Nj Harding m1nd Was
made up oa the QUESTION. and III Is know
to have considered announcement Of
the appointment early III January
ne only question NJ Hughes wss
wiling 10 answer ln regad 81 tht pahc4rS
nf hIs department r,latc to publicity
Asked VT, thcr i, intended fo follow the
precedent 1t the present administration
st.Efl
newspaper men, be replied with az cn-
phatlc affirmative. adding that be- wanted
70 give the falrcst publicity 20 every de-
partment question that would p@rlnlt
II public discussions
Washington. Fcb q Henry 7
Fletcher, former American Ambassador
Il Mexico - DC pder-~ccrct4 ns
STAT" in tie Harding administration
The tender Of the position to Mr. tlnt
cher. who is here atter spending consider
able time IN Florida with the President
elect was made through Charles +. Hughes
whose selection as Secretary of Stat
was announced Saturday by Mr. Har ting
Formal acceptance OF the position otseret
him Is said 20 be planned By MIR Fletche
Immediately
According 10 information here Mr.
Harding had Mr. Fletcher Ia mind for
service IN some diplomatic capacity and IL
selecting hln Tor Under-Secretary Of
State consulted Mr. Fletohers wishes
There nave been reports that Mr. Fletcher
might be named Ambassador to Toxic,
but his selection a. Under-Secretary is
said to be definite
MIR Fletcher, who is a Pennsylvanlan
has been in the diplomatic service for
many years, serving under the Wilson