Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-15
OF WAR;
MAY GO TO WEEKS
Harding Expected to Offer G.,
retaryship to Former
Senator
BUSINESS MAN is WANrrn
BY CLINTON w, GuRrpr
Stan Correspondent, Even,nr pa,n

stah Correspondent. Evening puh,,.
copVrioh, 1921 by Public Lcd,,. 'u'r
Msrion, Jan. 15.--It Is exnec,od ~ a.
Iresident-elect Harding will iIl'Imu h'sl
tentative offer Of the secretarrsSaike Sake
war to ex- Senator John W'Wuip d|
who Is in Marion today for n coe mess
MT. weeks, according TO tho ho..
Iorlned nero, is certain to 20 int n y.
caDlnot. He was originally poyarS,, o ms
the likelicst candidate for socrotd ssotued q
the treasury. But Mr.. Hardinny ",
sired a western man in that s non ds.
Charles g. Dawes, of Chicnvop pooi ava
most certainly his choice ~ a.
Mr.. Weeks has been ment;o,o, :.
Tor secretary of the navy and Lia NV
napolis education would mako I's bi., aus
appropriate appointce TO tbot an
But 1t is understood that bc ,l.,, pos,
prefer not to be secretary Of tbo "ou1
Just because. Of that Annapolis tra;niav
Ihe boys who went to school r;,h hg,
in the Naval Academy are now I'D sdroIa alIa
ais and Mr.. Weeks as sccrctarr "ui'., W. y.
navy would be forced TO discrim,ro.a,s .as
among his old friends in nak;na
signments to duty. The task miss,
prove embarrassing for him, S''
Qualified for Post
For the place of secretary NJ
the ex senator is qualified by his sosa Ms'|
ice in the military affairs commits.
of the Senate. He was tho ranli's
Republican member of that commiH.
at the time of his defeat for re olsr,;s'
to the Senate from Massachusetts \.
Senator David Walsh. II he had III
mained in the upper house he wouu
now be chairman of the committes
While serving upon it he was actiyS NJ
the investigation of the conduct Of tbJ
war which brought down the wrath N
President Wilson upon the Democrati,1
chairman of the committee, Senato1
Chamberlain, of Oregon.
He has thus more familiarity viii
the War Department than any one el
that Mr.. Harding would be likely \
find for secretary Of war. He ba,|
moreover. another qualification whkJ
Mr.. Harding greatly desires in his secl
retary Of war. namely, large busine
experience. Up to his retirement fro,
the firm of Hornblower & Weeks N
was a successful business man. He mi
both a practical and theoretical knowll
edge Of banking, being perhaps tAI
most conspicuous example of the bud \
ness man in politics In this countrd
today.
Wants Business Man
Mr.. Harding wants business execu.
tive in the War Department because \
has been led to believe that bigger saw
ings can be made in that dcpartmer:I
than in any other branch Of the gov
ernment. He has been told that N
right sort Of head could easily rodn-
the expenses of the department by SD
OOO. 900 yenr without impairing 4
efficiency. He is impressed with st9rp
like that recently told here by Conrrc
man Anthony, of the purchase Of 81 |
600, 900 worth Of material for a new
of chevrons for officers when there +,
on hand material for chcvrons Of
sort discontinued worth several mi'oi
Of dollars.
There is also the experience
Congress in its effort last yei
to keep the enlisted force down
175, 900 men. Congress made an apn'
priation for an army of that size.
law, however, permitted SecrNto
Baker to form a maximum army mu'
larger than that and he did actual
cause go 900 men to be enliGtcd w
additional cost to the country was abO1
$50, 900. 900. Mr.. Harding wants SEE
retary of war who will co operate wit
Congress and who will keep down mill
tary expenses.
The post of secretary of war is high
important because Mr.. Harding will ri
Quire the Judgment of capable bad