Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-01
'DENBY, OFFICIALLY
APPOINTED, PRAISES
SECRETARY DANIELS

marines in the world war, formally
| accepted the portfolio of navy in
to maintain the naval fighting ma
chine "at the highest peak of pow
er ready for battle at any notice"
AS his assistant he will have
Theodore Roosevelt, son of the
former president, and he will begin
his administration under a policy
that calls for adherence to the pres
ent naval building program until
such time as the nations may be
brought into a definite agreement
for the reduction of ornaments.
Continuation Of the capital con-
struction program for the present
was announced formally as an adj
ministration policy by President
elect Harding at the same time that
he made known definitely the final
designatiqn Of Mr.: DENLY as secre-
tary of the navy and Of Mr.. Roosee-
welt as assistant secretary. He al
ready has communicated his wishes
to leaders in congress.
His conference with Mr.. DENLY
ended Mr.. Harding's work here. and
Marion, where his neighbors will
give him a farewell celebration on
Tuesday. He expects to reach
Washington Thursday the day be-
fore inauguration.
The definite confirmation Of Mr..
Denby's selection which has been
known Officially here for several
days. followed a long conference in
which he laid before the president
elect his opinion of what the next
administration should do with its
navy and marine corps: Afterward
he would not discuss detailed poll
cies, saying frankly that he felt he
had much to learn about the greater
cogs in the national machine Of sea
defense, but that he approached his
responsibilities confidently, with a
trained soldiers devotion to duty.
Had Unusual Experience
Although he came into the cab
met lineup at the last minute as
dark horse selection, Mr.. DENLY
brings to the secretaryship an I'M
usual background of naval expert
ence Besides having been an en-
listed man in wartime In both the
navy and the marine corps, he has
served as a member of the house
naval committee, has gained through
close contact knowledge or con-
ditions beyond the insular possess
sions in the Pacific, where more
than once the washington govern
ment has cast a questioning eye. A
lawyer by profession, he now holds
the title of probation officer Of the
criminal court in Detroit, Michigan
He declared his selection had come
as a complete surprise to him, but
he emerged into the 1imelight of ma
tiona1 affairs smiling genially and
comforting himself as confidently
as though he had been a cabinet
member all of his life.
naval policies, Mr.. DENLY reminded
his questioners in a matter of fact
way that he never had been in close
contact with the larger policies OF
the department and so might find
himself a stranger to. some Of the
important questions of policy. But
he added that an absence Of pre-
conceived opinions might not be en-
tirely a detriment.
Il may say in general terms" ne
continued, that my conception OF
the duty of a secretary, is to, act as
an adviser to the president, the cab
met and congress, and more i'm
portant still to maintain whatever
navy congress gives US at the nlgn.
at any notice"
In response to questions about
the naval policies of the present ad-
ministration the secretary-to,6e
only smiled and shook his head. He
clare his unqualified approval of
the anti-wine ruling of Secretary
Daniels, adding that he believed
most of the officers Of the navy
now recognized the wisdom or the
famous order.
Thanks Mr.. Daniels
For Mr.. Daniels personally he ex-
pressed highest regard, and one OF
his first acts as secretary designate
was to send a telegram to the pres
emit navy department head thanking
him for past courtesies.
Declining an invitation to dictate
the message to one of the stenog-
raphers at Mr.. Harding's headquar-
tiers, he went to a telegraph stand
in the hotel lobby below and ,scrib-
bled out the following in lead PEN
''Have read with great pleasure
your kind to me in eor fhg
ington within day or two, 1 hope"
The meeting will not be the first
between the retiring secretary and
his SUCCESSOR: During the world war,
age of forty-eight as a marine
sergeant, he broke strict regula-
ton and went direct to Mr.. Daniels
in an effort to smooth out some of
the troubles Of the men serving
THE secretary might have court
martialed me-" said Mr.. DENLY aft
s sr relating til the story today but he
Most Of the prospective secretary's
service with the marine was, in the
morale department, though he was
sent abroad for brief period as
observer and was under fire on the
American front in France. Before
the war was over he had risen from
private to second lieutenant, serving
with the latter rank as morale Off
Ger at the Paris island training sta
ton.
OF Fighting Stock
Mr.. DENLY comes of fighting
stock, an uncle and grandfather
having served as officers in the
American navy. His father, Dem
ocrat until he refused to support
William Jennings Bryan in 1896,
was American minister to China I'M
der Cleveland. Young DENLY ac-
companied him and in all spent nine
years in the Far East, most of the
time being employed in the Chinese
maritime customs service. He was
in the navy through the Spanish
American war, and as gunners-
mate, he participated in the block
ade Of Havana.
Mr.; Roosevelt's appointment as
with family tradition, his father
having first come to national fame
while occupying that post, and his
cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, hav-
ing filled it until he resigned last
summer to accept the Democratic
nomination for the vice presidency.
Like his prospective chief, Mr..
Roosevelt is a veteran Of the world
war, having served as q lieutenant
colonel of infantry in France. He is
thirty-three years old, and a mem
Der of the New York assembly. Dur
ing the pre-convention campaign last
year he was connected with the
movement for the nomination of