The New York herald., 1921-04-03

w 18TH the recent. announcement OF
\A/ the amicable settlement Of the
threatened strike OF laborers in
the national meat packing industry the
country awoke to the fact that there is
personality In the Harding Cabinet--a
man who is able to do things. and do them
ION his own" Otherwise the naming of
James j. Davis as Secretary of Labor by
President Harding meant little to the
country except that a man had been ap-
pointed to this high post who had the in
dorsement Of union labor and large fra
ternal organization.
1t is interesting that fortune determined
10 pick Secretary Davis out so early In the
new regime and set him before the people in
bas relief with the packers strike as a
background: but fortune usually finds a
way of bringing out such personalities Sell
dom since Lincoln has man risen re-
markably from the plain surroundings Of
American democracy to a high public Office
and a high place in the public confidence
and the astrologers are already looking up
the astral influences that have guided his
career.
Determination an Outstanding
Factor in Davis'S Makeup
From the ranks of abor-abor that began
before he was old enough to make shoes and
stockings a part OF his daily attire-and an
immigrant, James Davis has fought his way
upward in the world. In his early twenties
he had public office forced on him. Then his
heart spread out to the broad principles OF
fraternalism. and he became organizer for
of the greatest benevolent orders In the
world. Later he became head of this order
and in turn the governor of the largest
benevolent asylum the country has known.
To-day. hair grayed with labor for others
and not yet having reached the half century
mark Of life, he has been called to admin
ister the policies of the Department of Labor
in Cabinet that is promised the most diff
cult readjustment tasks in our political his
tory. Hes brings to this office experience
in life, a schooling learned In the broad uni
versity of rubbing shoulders with ones fell
low men. "stiR upper lip and a determina-
ton to go straight and force other. men to
meet him half way
Like the former Secretary Of the Interior in
the Wilson Cabinet, Franklin X. Lane, Sec
retary Davis has one shortcomng that wip
prove boon to him. Friends will not cut
his throat for fear of his political ambitions
for he was born an alien, and consequently,
whatever may be his successes in his new
post, he can never aspire to the chief public
office OF the land. When his mother stood at
lower Broadway and exclaimed this is the
country for my boys." she probably did not
think of her future Presidents. and
undoubtedly her boy Jim already has ex-
ceeded her expectations.
1t is not many Of us whose fortune IL
becomes one day to administer affairs of the
public with which we have had occasion at
other times to find fault which our
peculiar surroundings of life have especially
fitted us to handle. but this is the lot of the
new Secretary OF Labor In the Labor De-
partment he will be called upon to enforce
the laws of immigration and naturalization.
laws with which he himself has struggled
in early life. The relations Of women and
children in industry, supervision Of which
will be part OF his new job, will recall to
him the environs OF his own childhood.
Jim Davis the puddler In a Pittsburgh
steel mill will readily remind Secretary Of
Labor James j. Davis that labor has heart
and soul, and his work sas organizer and
leader of a large benevolent organization. the
Loyal Order of Moose, together with the
experience of public offices held in the State
Of Indiana, will teach him that labor must
come half way to meet its boss In it's rela-
tons with capital. In the Department OF
Labor Secretary Davis win be called upon
to administer expenditures of between
SiO0O.000 and $5,00O.000 year Even this,
however, will be no new task for him. Dur
ing the war he was chairman of the war
relief commission of the Loyal Order of
Moose and as such has administered several
times this amount.
Davis the Second Man to Be Chief
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