The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-08
HAMMOND LIKELY
 ID BE APPOINTED
 COMMERCE HEAD
Hundreds of TeIegrams Pour ing In Upon Next President Urging Selection for
 Cabinet Post ;
Bx ROBERT T. SMALL

ial)-There is good reason to believe that the movement now on foot to make John Hays Hammond secretary of commerce in the Harding cabinet may succeed. The President-elect is seriously considering the matter and hundreds of telegrams have poured in upon him suggesting the advisability of the appointment. There is some question as to whether Mir Ham mond would accept cabinet post, but his friends believe he might be induced to do SO
 If Mir. Hammond should be appointed he undoubtedly would be credited to the District of Columbia-one of the few res dents of voteless Washington ever to att tain such rank. Mr. Hammond, of course, has a home in Gloucester, Mass, and that probably is his official place of res idence, but he spends most of his time in his palatial home in Washington over looking Rock Creek Massachusetts is to be honored by the appointment of Join MT. Hammond if he enters the cabinet, will be recorded from the district.
 STRENGTH STRESSED
 Some of the telegrams which urge the appointment of MT. Hammond have the frankness to say to the President-elect that the strength the distinguished min ing engineer would lend to the official family is most desirable factor. Mir. Hammond probably will be surprise himself to learn of the extent of the movement which is under way in his be- half. Senator Harding has been cast si- bout for a strong secretary of com 4sA s- He realizes that this post is to
 yitally important one during the S four years, during which time there
 be determination of the part
 sM flea is to play in the future in the fsss nerce and shipping of the world.
 Hammond's appointment Twould pSsAe% in the cabinet man with an in EeEfational point of view. With the elim- saetion of Charles c. Dawes who served Irder General Pershing in France. it was supposed that the last man with a thorough knowledge of Europe has been ssfnpked from consideration. While 1t is tfae Mr. Hammond saw no service over- Hefs turing the actual period of the war, he had a wide and interesting ex- HeR ice in Europe and South Africa -..ln recent years and has an acquain- tanceship among the men of power on the other side of the water, which would be decided asset to the Harding ad- ministration. MT. Hammond numbers has friends not alone among the states }; men of Europe. but among the finan- ci6rs and business men. There is no doubt but that his appointment would be viewed abroad with the greatest satis- faction. Europe would like to see in the Harding cabinet some one it knows and some one who knows Europe through
 ONE POST NOT DECIDED
 While it would seem off-hand that the selection of Mr. Hammond as secretary of commerce would complete the slate for the Harding cabinet, there are surface indications that the post of secretary of the treasury has not vet been definitely decided Andrew w. Mellon, the multi millionaire banker of Pittsburg. undoubt- edly is foremost in the mind of the President-elcct at the moment, but tht virtual declination of the post by MT Dawes has spurred the friends of Charles Dewey Hilles of New York, to renewed efforts in his behalf. Not only this but 3t has become known that MT. Hllles has been invited to St. Augustine for a further conference with MT. Harding and will be here some time this week He will be accompanied by Senator James w. Wadsworth, Jr.. of New York. whe has been an enthusiastic packer of Mir H!lles. Prior to becoming secretary ts The fact that MT. Hugnes, who is to bt secretary of state also comes from New York is not regarded as a bar to the ap- N pointment of Mir Hilles, for MT. Hard ing has let 1t be known that in tht for proper cabinet material nt would disregard state lines in certain racessary instances. It has been knOwr for i long time that if MT. Harding should 20 outside of actual banking cir rIes for a secretary of the treasury hi choice would unquestionably be Mir TIilies. Prior to becoming secretarg t President Taft, Mir. Hilles was an as eistant secretary of treasury undel Franklin Macveigh. He knows the treas elry thoroughly. He represents today th' younger and better element in nationa politics. having just won his way to tn position of republican national commit feennan for the state of New York.
 WATSON FIRST ARRIVAL
 One of the first men to arrive in st une,Isfine to greet the President-elec ;,nor his return was Senator James F Watscn of Indiana. Senator Watson had been invited to the best mind" con ferences in Marion, but an attack of III r.ess prevented his going to the front porch cApitol Mr. Watson stopped eve jn st. Augustine on his way south for recuperative trip which will continue fo two or three weeks. Senator Watson is particularly pleased over the prospec tive apofntment of John J. Davis Pitteburgh. As secretary of labor MI Davis is . native of Indiana he owns farm In Illinois, and has financial inter ests in Western Pennsylvania, so lik John Hays Hammond. he may be rs karded as national appointee rathe