The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-07
||ARACTER
n CABINET
is PRAISED
s.pubncans !, Beksye Hard.
ing Has Chosen Able
Men for Posts.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
fsnecial to The Arxus.l J

4 vashington, Feb. Though Of
~ members of the prospective
.Si,net Of President Harding have
- selected to catalogue some Of
- personal characteristics Of the
rm who will endeavor to bring
ihe United States back to ner-
,palcy.
!: Opinions may differ at this stage
4 lie game as to what constitutes
Z nod cabinet or an able cabinet,
r the thing Warren Harding had
i mind was getting q serviceable
otinet Democrats may be skep-
tIcal but Republicans in the capi-
tai are not only satisfied but en-
thusiastically expectant.
sss' Take Andrew W. Mellon Of Pitts
burxr, who is to be secretary Of
he treasury. The call to service in
iis case is an extraordinary piece
Il luck for Mr.. Harding. For not
only Is Mr.. Mellon the second rich
4 1t man in America-said to be
worth hundreds Of millions Of dol
:iar,Ebut his executive genius has
Tenabled him to build up organiza-
I tiop after organization with the
sase that come out Of masterful
planning and calm deliberation.
sNiQ wealth makes Mr.. Mellon, NO
longer interested in the business
world but ready to turn his talents
TO the public service. He was
picked by Mr.. Harding as a type
Of successful business man who
would measure up to campaign
promises Of efficiency in govern
'nent. SIX
Very Independent.
y Consider, next. Charles Evans
Hughes. than whom there is nc
'nere Independent minded indiyid-
III In public life today. There is
10 anticipation that under his au-
lpices the department Of state will
n turned upside down for politi-
al purposes. There is every ex-
pectatioD that the perennial effort
to put the diplomatic and consular
service on an efficiency instead OF
. political basis will at least be
realized for Mr.. Hughes isn't the
kind of a man who would listen to
the pleadings Of politicians or the
vhisperings of ambitious job
hunters. The mere fact that a man
who occupied q position on the
supreme court of the United States
and man who was himself within
few electoral votes Of being pres
Nent Of the United States should
preside over the department Of
state and convey an influence oi
quiet dignity and firmness in the
Dispatch Of business with foreign
diplomats and Statesmen, both here
md abroad.
Broke With Party.
Then there Is the secretaryshiT
Z war. John w. Weeks, former
snator from Massachusetts, is .
very wealthy man and therefore
aas no reason to cater to any in.
terests for future gain as Is sc
otten the case with the Official who
looks upon his position either as Z
stepping stone socially or rs AZ
opportunity in future business OF
ne pursuit Of his profession. Johr
weeks showed his independence
vnen, . sa member of the senate
ne broke away from his party and
voted with the Democrats in fav0l
" the present federal reserve act
ne admitted that there were i'm
peneceons in it but he said ht
could not vote against it because
ne believed there was plenty o
socd In the measure. Most of thu
Mepuoiicans at the time took {
Afty view Of the matter and votet
alnst the bill. Mr.. Weeks know,
omelal Washington and governmea
@s!nods. 1t will not take him lonl
= lamiliarize himself with the wa
dspartment.
frank 0. Lowden, as secretar,