Evening star., 1921-02-12
N. Y. FINDS FLAWS
IN HARDING SLATE
Party Leaders Regret That
Wood, Hoover and Root
Are Not Included.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

NEW YORK, February 12-One
doesn't have to investigate sentiment
very far in this. the nations metropolis,
to learn that President-elect Hardinp's
list OF cabinet secretaries will not evoke
outbursts of enthusiasm if it should
prove to be the slate that practically all
the correspondents, in both Washington
and st. Augustine, have been publishing
during the last few weeks
or course, New York's point of view
may not be national. but here at any
rate are some influential republican
leaders and newspapers, and it is sig
nlncantt that many of them are finding
faule pubiciysand privately.
Ar HaEdinG may have selected what
any President might regard as good
working cabinet. but the trouble is New
York had come to expect super
cabinet. With Gen. Wood. Herbert
Hoover and Elihu Root in it, and au-
tnentic dispatches from Harding's head
quarters have indicated that none of
these three giants of republicanism
would be chosen.
Take the sscretaryship of state, for
instance. Now Charles Evans Hughes
is well known in New York, and his
ability is fully recognized, but Elihu
Root would have been more enthu-
training has been in international at
fairs and diplomacy. However, the
objections to Hughes are relatively
insignificant compared to the mur-
sion Of men like Gen. Wood and Her
bert Hoover.
Melons Holdings.
While Gotham admires the genius
and ability of Andrew w. Mellon of
Pittsburgh. who is slated for the sec
retaryship of the Treasury. some re-
publicans are uneasy over the way the
democratic newspapers have insisted
upon cataloguing the large financial
holdings of Mr.. Mellon. They wonder
if the country will approve the selec-
tion of a man whose wealth is said to
be next to that of John D. Rookie
Teller.
New York really doesn't object to
wealth. nor does it consider Mr.. Mel
Ions business connections as a handi-
cap. The bottom of the trouble is that
Wall street and the banking commu-
nifty had come to hope that one of it's
own group of financiers would sit in
the Treasury Department under re-
publican administration, or that per-
haps one of its good friends, like
George NJ. Reynolds. the big Chicago
banker. might be SO honored
There seems to be no particular OBJ
lection to Gov. Lowden of Illinois. On
>
the people on the inside here insist
that within the last five days Gov.
Lowden's letter. declining to enter the
cabinet at all, has reached Mr.. Hard
ing at st. Augustine.
Much praise of John W. Weeks. for
mer United states senator from Mas
sachuSetts. who is slated to be Secre-
tary of War. is heard, but there is no
denying That the appointment of
Leonard Wood would have been many
times more pleasing.
Hays and Daugherty.
viii Hays and Harry NJ Daugherty.
who are listed for Postmaster Gem
eral and Attorney General, are popu-
lar in political circles. but it is never
theiess true that leading republicans
question the advise bility of putting
men OF prominence in political organ
ization in the cabinet. What some of
these New Workers do not know is
that politician with his ear to the
ground is sometimes better judge of
the public pulse than business man
whose training has been entirely in
side single city and in single
business.
New York has been somewhat of a
Hoover stronghold. and since the
former food administrator has come
SO prominently before the public in
connection with the European child
relief. the people have been con-
stantly reminded of his executive
ability. so that it is not unusual to
hear one man say to another, or
one woman to another:
Il wonder why Mr.. Harding doesn't
put Hoover in the cabinet."
Most folks. however. refuse to be-
lieve what they see in the newspapers
about cabinet selections. and are
serenely confident that. when the list
is finally made public it will surely
contain the names of. Leonard Wood
Elihu Root and Herbert Hoover.
fConyripht 1921 4