Evening star., 1922-01-12
HAYS RESIGNATION
IS |SEPEcTED SOON
Postmaster General Drawn
to Movie Post by Chance
to Render Service.
RY DAVID LAWRENCE,

II
Will Hays probably will resign as
Postmaster General to accept the
offer of adviser extraordinary to the
motion picture industry. and become
a sort of Judge Landis for the film
business.
Those friends with whom MIR. Hays
has discussed the matter say he Is
persuaded by the fascinating oppor-
tunities of the new position rathe'
than its $50. 900 year. for when nc
was considering the position in the
cabinet 1t was admitted that his earn
ing power in the law business "as
at least that figure.
Mr.. Hays inclination toward the
new Job is based. therefore. on his be-
lief that he can render big service
possibly even greater than in the re-
organization Of the mails. The Post
Office Department is. after all. Dig
business Institution, with set ways
and regulations, more or less uetei
mined by Congress. The chance lof
individual work Is hardly as great az
in an entirely new enterprise ike Tn.
supervision of the motion plctufes ol
the nation.
Novelty and Co.sental Work.
Mr.. Hays loves novelty and organ
izins tasks. When he leaves the post
al service it will be because he be-
lieves the new position offers even
more congenial work than he has had
Mr.. Hays is q deacon in the Pres
byterian Church. lie knows what the
right thinking folks of the country
believe ought to be the limits on the
screen The motion picture ieaaefs
themselves know it. What theJ ieat
is that without regulation some VI
their own number may overstep the
there involuntarily start the mach'h'
cry of censorship with momentum
enough eventually to bring about ma
tional prohibition OF cehsoFsh'p
What they want of Will nays Is u
take hold of the whole thing and reg
ulate the movie producers as Wen d.
handle the public relations of the IN.
dustry Mr., Hays would be expected
10 deal with legislatures and lesisia
tive commivtees everywhere. ana pre-
sent the b.Ater side OF the motion PIC
tuIe business. ..
If it were a task of prevention o.
censorship alone. Mr.. Hays wouldn
he interested He is persuaded tina,
the motion picture has educationa
OPPORTUNITIES which have hardly
been touched thus far. and that
greater chance for moral upifft lies
on the screen than in any other me
dium Of thought communication to-
day. His enthusiasm for the new
work Is typical. He has from the
beginning been tempted TO loose ms
enerGieS on II.
Senator New Suggested.
When ME. Hays resigns who shall
take his place in the cabinet? The
first man who comes to mind is Sen
ator Harry New of Indiana. He could
have had a cabinet portfolio when
MIR. Harding was in Florida. but he
declined then, a. he probably would
now. Mr.. New is htted for Postmaster
General because he is Thoroughly
trained In national politics. and IL
himself an organizer Of experience
having once been republican national
chairman. But it - an open secret
that he has no intention OF s9terinnss. M.
fight for reelection in Indiana next
rap; President .iAAis; Harding thinks a srea,
deal Of Harry New. and undoubtedly
would pick him at once for Postmaster
General II, Mr.. New would consent.
On the other hand. Mr.. Harding IL
not at all anxious to make 1t easier
for former Senator Beveridge to come
back from Indiana to the National
Capital. so in more ways than one
the President has shown his interest
in Senator News candidacy and plans
to show 1t even more definitely later
on. That would seem to dispose OF
the rumor that Harry New weu1d
succeed Will Hays.
Another report that can be brushed
aside is that there will be trans
dent II loath to lose Will Hays. but
il he shifted the cabinet. 1t would
mean training fnen IN two positions,
instead Of one.
In Case Of Reorganization.
II tho plans for reorganization of the
government. which are being worked out
by Walter +. Brown of Ohio. were COM
pleted, It might be that Mr.. Harding
would shift Secretary DENLY to the Post
Once Department from the Navy and
put Secretary Weeks in charge Of the
new Department Of National Defense.
which would nave jurisdiction over botl,
the Army and Navy. This would mean
that Assistant Secretary Roosevelt. who
has shown an amazing aptitude for his
job, would be IN virtual charge Of the
Navy under Mr. Weeks. The reorgani-
zation plan. however, requires the ap-
prevail OF Congress, and is 50 inter-
woven in other governmental changes
which are likely to become matters OF
controversy. rhat7an early coRsoltda ton
Of departments can hardly be expected.
II Mr.. Harding has given any thought
to d successor OF Will Hays. he has not
communicated his ideas to any one else.
The belief Is that until Mr.. Hays def
niteiy resigns, Mr.. Harding will decline
to discuss the subject even with his
intimate friends. The resignation, how
ever, is expected to be decided one way
or the other in q few days. Close friends
Of Mr.. Hays in the government circle
are authority for the prediction that
the chances are four out of ffve in favor
Of his accepting the position offered by
fh> motion nicf,re industry