The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-02-10
HARDING GOES
BACK TO DESK
UNTIL MARCH 4
Starts to Dispose of Accumu-
lated Business-Friends Be-
lieve Some Cabinet Ap-
pointments Determined.
ALL ARE UNCERTAIN

ST. AUGUSTINE, Feb. 1o.-Back at
work today after a three weeks vaca-
ton, President-elect Harding waded
into a vast accumulation of CORE
spondence and other miscellaneous
business that must be cleared away
final decisions on the personel of his
ca binet and other major problems.
Mr. Harding returned to ST. Angus
tine last night from his houseboat
cruise along the Florida coast and es-
tablished offices in a St. Augustine
hotel, which will be his home until he
leaves for Washington to be inaugu-
rated
Stack of kilograms
Only the most urgent communica-
tions have been forwarded to him dur
ing his trip. and the stack of unan-
swered kilograms and letters probably
will occupy virtually all of his working
time for the remainder of the week.
While the president-elect was cruis-
ing on the houseboat Victoria, he also
kept as far away from his problems as
possible and it may be said authorita-
lively that the most important deci-
sions of the coming administration,
including the personnel of the cabi-
net, are but little nearer consumma-
tion than they were three weeks ago.
Definite selections are yet to be
made for practically all of the ten
cabinet positions, and in regard to
most Of them one guess seems to be
as good as another.
Many Slips Vet.
The cabinet appointments which Mr..
Hardings close friends believe to be
virtually determined are confined to
the portfolios of state, justice, post
office and agriculture. Charles Evans
Hughes OF New York, for secretary of
state; Harry NJ. Daugherty of Ohio for
attorney general; Will H. Hays of In
diana, for postmaster general and
Henry Wallace of Iowa, for secretary
of agriculture are selections which
those in position to knew now regard
as practically certain.
Yet even in respect to these it is
realized that there may be many slip
between the first OF EsbRuary~a and the
first of March.
War Secretaryship.
For the secretaryship of war, several
men still are mentioned in gossip close
to the president-elect. Prominent
among them is John w. Weeks of
Ma ssa chusetts, whose name also is
linked repeatedly with the navy and
treasury portfolios.
Frank O. Lowden Of Illinois. is an
other mentioned as possibility for
the secretaryship of the navy, and the
friends of Andrew W. Mellon of Penn
sylvania. still are urging his qualifica-
tions to the secretary of the treasury.
For the latter post it is understood
that Charles G.. Dawes of Illinois once
conceded to have an inside track, no
longer is a serious possibility.
Fall Considered.
Senator A. B Fall, of New Mexico.
is believed to be under serious consid
Grafton secretary of the interior and
whether he goes into the place it is
understood to depend largely on his
own inclina ation. For the same place
John Hays Hammond of New York is
being strongly recommended by one of
the Republicans.
1t is in regard to the secretaryships
of labor and commerce that Mr.. Hard
ing's mind is believed TO be farthest
from a decision. The records and
qualifications of several men are said
to be under investigation in connec-
ton with the labor portfolio, one of
the latest to receive prominent sup
port being J. A. Davis, Of Pittsburg,
Pa, formerly a steel worker and
now a banker The place at the head
of the commerce department is ex-
pected TO be the last of all to be filled
and it may fall to anyone mentioned
for a post ranking nearer the top of
the list.
To Seek Advice.
It is certain that Mr. Harding will
take no definite steps until he has
held further conferences with his ad-
visers, and next week is expected to
see the beginning of a series of con-
ssultations here that will bring a de-
cision. 1t is unlikely that any appoint
ments will be announced, however, un-
Continued on Page Eleven)