Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-24
WILSON POLICIES
ARE INDICATED
BY ONE REMARK
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal. }

(LeaSoO wire service TO LIE JOuFHdlJ
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-some-
thing like chuckle-perhaps 1t
might be better called a smile of
satisfaction-came out of the White
House today and spread its imag-
mary echoes over the snow-covered
grounds of the executive mansion.
1t was simply that Warren Harding
had contributed by a single remark
more to the vindication Of the poll
cies of woodrow Wilson, human be-
ing. than any historian of the fu-
ture could possibly apply to Wood
row Wilson, president.
When President-elect Harding told
the correspondents at st. Augustine
that the opposition to the selection
of Harry M. Daugherty as attorney
general has only served to strength
en- his determination to appoint Mr..
Daugherty to the office because he
was his trusted friend. he expressed
a natural emotion which has been
back of Mr.. Wilson's steadfast 10y
atty to his own. friends in PUBLIC
office whenever they have been at
tackled. For instance:
Backs Friends
When public criticism of Secretary
Daniels appeared to be growing, Mr..
Wilson refused to consider a change
in the navy department portfolio be-
cause, as he expressed it, Mr.. Dan
iels was his trusted friend.
When attacks upon Secretary Ba-
ker began to accumulate during the
war, and when Mr.. Baker offered to
resign, the president would not lis
ten to it and on the contrary wrote
him a letter saying he had absolute
confidence in him.
When the campaign against
George Creel became hottest, Mr.
Wilson turned aside all suggestions
hot Nv hn n.
sisted that Mr.. Creel was his loyal
friend and could do no wrong.
When Postmaster General Burle-
son was under attack, Mr.. Wilson
again declined to believe that the at
tacks were anything more than in
Burleson had been a loyal friend
and was retained.
Severely Criticized
here and there in which Mr.. Wilson
has forsaken his friends and given
them cause for chagrin, by and large
he has stood by most Of the per-
sonal friends whom he elevated tC
public office. For this policy he has
been severely criticized and that's
why, when Mr.. Harding stands out
litical companion ct many years and
appoints him attorney general not
withstanding. the editorial criticism
and skepticism concerning Mr.
Daugherty's fitness for the job, the
people still living at the White
terested hand of approval for thai
part of Mr.. Harding's character
which sticks by friends irrespective
Of their merit.
The last thing that Harding man
would like to admit is that in any re-
spect the president-elect is starting
out like his predecessor in preferrine
to appoint personal friends whose
equation he knows than utter strang'
ers whose idiosyncrasies might be-
come source of embarrassment
later on.
Significance of Choice
+ But entirely apart from the per
Sonal considerations involved in Sc
lecting Mr.. Daugherty, there is a fal
deeper significance in the appoint
ment than appears on the surface
Every one who has been on the insid,
of the discussion Of the last three
Daugherty should be appointed attor
ney general knows that there have
| been two points Of view-one tina
Mr.. Daugherty. never had been a big
| enough lawyer in Ohio to justify his
| elevation to the head Of the depart
VI JuSllCSS ollo LllO OL1lCl L1ldL l.
Mr.. Daugherty wasn't appointed, i
would be severe setback to party
organization, for it would be such {
conspicuous example of political in
gratitude as to interfere at the out
set with the splendid development o.
unified Republican organization
the continuance of which would b.
indispensable to- the reelection o:
Warren Harding in 1924. u Politician:
look far ahead and the sagaciou.
ones insisted that even if Mr.. Daugh
erty's qualifications were not extraor
binary he should be rewarded so tha
everybody in the organization woult
know that Warren Harding rewards
the men who do things for him.
The second view prevailed anC
along with it was the knowledge that
the head of the department of justice
need not be a genius as a lawyer but
simply a good executive.
Legal Experts
The solicitor general and the seven
assistants to the attorney general are
the legal experts of the department.
The attorney general himself shapes
broad policies and must be an eXecu-
tive manager, able to conduct nego-
tiations with the world outside his
department and to keep several thou
sands of employees working efficient
iy 1t doesn't take a remarkable
lawyer to be attorney general any
more than it requires a naval or army
officer to run the navy or war de-
partmeats. Therefore the proponents
of the second view won out because,
they said, Mr.. Daugherty was good
organizer and would make a good at
torney general while at the same time
the political considerations involved
in the whole business would be so
we'll met that Warren Harding could
start his administration with the en-
Snirit AOf entire R6DuDl1-
can organization.
Mr.. Harding trusts Mr.. Daugherty
and is ready to stand or fall on the
record the latter makes. So far as
the general public is concerned, just
now, it is probably disposed to give
both Mr. Harding and his associates
fair chance to make, good while per-
sons who know Mr.. Daugherty init
mately think the very criticism that
has been made will act as a spur to