The Washington times., 1921-04-22
HOOVER GETS.
$1OO,0OOMAN
Huston, Appointed to Commerce
Post, Secretary's Ideal of
Keen Business Developer.

Secretary of Commerce Hoover,
who has been calling for 100000
man to become Assistant Secretary
of Commerce, has been granted his
desire by the appointment yesterday
OF Claudius H. Huston, of Chatta-
nooga, Tenn.
Huston is one Of the most success
full business men in his State. Years
| ago he left his native State. Indiana,
and went to Tennessee to become as
| sistant professor in a business col
| lege. 1t was not long before he be-
gan to practice business instead OF
preaching it. and rapidly was mourt-
| Ing the ladder of success. He has
| expanded his interests with the pass
ing of time, until in the last decade
he mas been the dominant figure in
half dozen or more of the most
important enterprises in Tennessee,
and has extended his interests into
neighboring States.
Those who know him best say he
has the quality Secretary Hoover has
been calling for. in addition to con-
ventional business ability-imagina-
ton. The Secretary aims to have the
Department Of Commerce during the
next four years do more than play
| the game, according to the rules long
| established. He wants ii to make
new rules, and ever to create new
games. For that, Imagination must
be had. experimenting hard business
sense, and. while Secretary Hoover
has an ample supply himself, he feels
| that the men who will be his aides
| and lieutenants also must possess it.
WANTS KEEN MEN.
He wants men who can see 1hinss
that the average business man has
| not seen and is not likely to see IN
foreign trade. He wants the Depart
| ment Of Commerce to think ahead,
and to lead the business men of the
country in opening and securely es-
tablishing trade routes to all parts
of the world-much of the markets
of which hitherto have been in the
hands of the competitor nations of
the United States. This country must
get a large share OF the worlds bust
| ness, Secretary Hoover thinks, to keep
going ahead. and II cannot get 1T un-
! less 1t thinks faster and straighter
| than other nations.
Secretary Hoover wants men who
can see things at home that have
| not been seen before, or that have
been seen through smoked glasses.
He has said that. in the face Of the
some years to come, the United
| States either must lower it's stand
| ards of living or raise its production
| output. He is all for the latter, but
| he understands that new ways OF
doing old things and ways of doing
new things must be evolved, IL his
way is to work out. Therefore, he
wants imagination in the Depart
ment OF Commerce to help furnish
leadership for American business
in such matter. for example.as
working out a great system to sup
ply cheap power in the industrial
district in the northeastern section
of the country.
CAREFUL SELECTION.
The Secretary has moved slowly
and carefully in picking the men
he wanted. As the Maryland delega-
ton found out. when IT put up Reno
Is Harp for Commissioner of Fish
cries. Hoover has had precious lit
tie politics in his mind in selecting
men for his department Politics
counted not at all in the selection
| of the Assistant Secretary. Huston
hesitated and while he hesitated, so
the story in Washington is, Secre-
tary Hoover bethought him to have
President write a letter, saying that
this plan to make the Department
of Commerce a real thing in leader
ship OF American business in these
hours of crisis after crisis was a
plan which would stand the test of
time. and that Huston really was
wanted to help in the business. So
he accepted, and was appointed. and
at least one 800, 700 man has been
canVht