The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-10
HARDING HAS HIS PHYSICIAN DUBBED
 BRIGADIER GENERAL
Trailing LudiCrous Precedent, Village PuS-Paddler Will Be- come Pretended Veteran of
 Cory BattlefieIdS
By HUGH W. ROBERTS 7 Washington Bureau The Age-Herald


 .,. 800 Davidson Building
 Washington March S.-(SpeciaL) )-Dr. C. F. Sawyer of Marion, O.. nominated by President Harding today to be brig adler general, will be confirmed
 The democrats will not inte-pose op- jection, and will thus prove themselves to be Digger" than the republicans, who whined from the souP' when President Wilson sought to elevate Dr. Cary E Grayson to the rank of admiral - This does not mean that every demo crat will vote for the confirmation of Dr. Sawyer. Individuals may vote against his confirmation But the great bulk oI the party will support him, and in so doing will declare the opinion that Tn making personal appointments the Presi- dent should not be handicapped Republicans are prone to declare to- day that the Grayson confirmation was the precedent on which President Hard Ing based the nomination of Dr. Saw yer. But as Senator Harris of Georgia pointed out this afternoon. the cases are not analogous Dr. Grayson has served two Presidents prior to his adoption" by President Wilson, and his elevation was in the nature of a aspromotion. Dr. Saw yer is private citizen, and his elevation is the result simply of an arbitrary oe- sire upon the chief executive. UNDERWOOD SILENT Senator Underwood democratic leader, did not discuss the Sawyer nomination today from party standpoint. It is known, however, that it is his idea that the President in making personal ap- l pointments should not subject him to the nagging of Congress. It is safe 10 predict . that he himself will vote for confirma- ton. Senator Harris, while stressing the difference in the Grayson and the Saw yer cases, declared that he would vote | for confirmation.
 ha ,ofe- ,x,1& jvr,- portance to the country that his health must me safeguarded. It is proper that such guardianship be intruSted to the man the President selects
 During the administration of President Wilson the republicans continually inter- posed objections to his nomination Of men to purely personal positions. They fretted at great length regarding the ap- pointment of Dr. Grayson. They repeat edl, attempted to checkmate the PresN dent in his effort to fill positions in the cabinet, the fight against Attorney Gen eral Palmer being case in point.
 "I think the democrats should and will prove themselves of bigger spirit than the republicans. For one, will support Dr. Sawyer, and I feel confident that the democrats who formally oppose him will be few indeed"
 2 There is another reason why the dem- ocrats will stand by Sawyer. Sometime dSO, as lS rSCdlieu, fIeSlucHI w LSou pfU~ noted Col. Robert E. Noble, an Ala banlian in the department of the surgeon general, to the rank of brigadier gem eral The republicans strenuously op- posed his confirmation. But three repuD- lican senators voted for his confirmation and as result he was confirmed. One of the three was President Harding, then Senator Harding.
 The vote of Harding was cast as result of persuasion by Dr. Sawyer, who came from Marion to Washington for the spe- c;fc purpose of pulling him over" As all democrats supported Noble, they were naturally grateful to Harding and to Dr. Sawyer
 ential, it is not controlling. Democratic support of Sawyer results from desire Of democratic senators to prove themselves other than politicians of the small cal- ibre." variety.