Evening star., 1921-01-24
WEEKS SURVEYING
ARDEPARTMENT.
Hughes Winding Up Legal A.
fairs-Hoover Believed
Certain in Cabinet.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

arrangements made by the 1ndlFlduals
concerned to enter public life. such as
servering business connections and
packing their household goods.
Definite evidence has come to the
writer that John w. Weeks, former
senator from Massachusetts. is pre-
pairing to take over the portfolio of
Secretary of War. Within the last
week Mr.. Weeks has sent for pre-
liminary data so that he may make
survey of the entire War Depart
ment.
Charles Evans Hughes is winding
up his legal affairs SO as to be ready
for the secretaryship of state.
A. w. Mellon. of Pittsburgh has re-
MIA railroad and will become Secre-
tary of the Treasury.
Charles Grosvenor Dawes of Chica-
go. who was previously mentioned
for this place. will probably become
governor of the federal reserve board,
about to resign to become president
of the new hundred million dollar ex-
port corporation.
Sees Hoover in Cabinet.
Harry M. Daugherty will be Attorney
General and VIII Hays Postmaster
General.
Herbert Hoover will be in the cabinet
as secretary OIL Commerce
Henry Wallace of Des Moines, Iowa,
will be Secretary of Agriculture
A. T. Hert of Kentucky, who was con-
spicuously mentioned for Secretary OF
War. will not be in the cabinet. but
will be rewarded by being given some
other post Of prominence.
This leaves the portfolios Of navy, in
terror and labor undetermined. and every
one of Mr.. Harding's advisers and close
friends who might be presumed to know,
including some of those who had last
minute talks with Mr.. Harding before he
are up in the air about those three po-
sitions Indeed. Mr.. Harding himself is
weighing the merits Of the various
eligibles and probably has come to no
decision as yet.
Lowden Still Being Considered.
1t woud not be surprising, however. If
after all the talk about eliminating Low
den, the former Governor OF Illinois
finally was asked to become Secretary
of the Navy. The change of Mr.. Weeks
from navy to war is at the bottom OF
it. Everybody believed that Mr. weeks
wanted to be Secretary OF the Navy, ne,
cause he is graduate e. OF J.; the ,.S hava' va
Weeks wanted to be Secretary OF the
Treasury, as he is a banker. His own
objection to becoming Secretary OF the
Navy was that he would be embarrassed
classmates, who are now high officers in
the American Navy. Originally Il was
intended to make Gov LoNdsn 6ecrs-
ts.y g " war = By. ,.s since III Hasans T.Is S y
Pittsburgh for the secretaryship. Of the
Treasury, and since he wanted MI.
Weeks in the cabinet. too. II became
necessary to transfer Mr.. Weeks 10 the
portfolio Of war. The assumption was
that it would make little difference to
Gov. Lowden whether he took over the
affairs of the Army or the Navy, SO the
present plan is to urge the acceptance
Of the Navy portfolio on the iilinos
man whose strength at tne repuDhIcan
ical moment to Harding and thus made
possible his nomination. y
Sympathies With L0wden Wing.
It is not considered likely that Mr..
Harding will start out his administra-
ton by recognizing the objections
made by the Thompson machine in
Chicago. for the President-elect is a
regular republican and all his SYM
pathfes have been with the Lowden
wing Of the party. 1t is also under
stood that men of influence In Illinois
have informed Mr.. Harding that the
moral effect Of eliminating Lowden
from the cabinet might be more en-
couragement to the Thompson wing
than would be good for the republican
party nationally. SO the reward to pc
given Mr.. Lowden Is being carefully
considered. Furthermore, when 1t be-
came evident that Mr.. Melons quail
ficationss for the secretaryship Of the
Treasury were urged by Penpsylvania
leaders, who made a convincing pres
entation Of the case, Senator Hard
ing was left with the necessity of
Cabinet. The race then narrowed
down to Gov. Lowden and Albert D.
Iasker, president OF Lord & Thomas,
and one of the intimate advisers of
Mr.. Harding during the last cam
paign.
and the part he played at the Chicago
convention in nominating Harding
have been the factors in his favor. He
is by no means certainty Tor the
cabinet, as last-minute shifts and
transfers may be necessary. but ne Is
ing favorably considered for the secre-
taryship of the Navy.
Opposes Two In One State.
The elimination of A. T. Hert of Ken
lucky for the war portfolio caused Mr..
Harding considerable pain, for he likes
Hert and wants to reward him for the
part he played as a Lowden manager
in swinging the convention to Harding.
But Hert comes from Kentucky, which
state VOtcO 1OT SOA, duU " piSh dHJ
body from a southern state which went
democratic would be to get into trouble
with the republicans who carried Ten
nessee and Oklahoma and Missouri.
Some of Mr. Hert's friends urged that
he be appointed on the ground that he
was originally from Indiana. but the
selection Of Will Hays, who comes
from Indiana, too. made that impossi-
BILE. as Mr.. Harding isn't going to put
two men in the cabinet from the same
state.
Copyright. 1921