The Washington herald., 1922-11-15
CABINET SPLIT
LIKELY TOSTOP.
BUREAU SHIFTS
Secretaries Emphatic in
Opposition to Loss of
Present Authority.
READY TO ACCEPT
ADDITIONALPOWER
If Scheme Is Dropped,
Wallace Will Be Re
garded as Victor.

The administrations program for
reorganization of government de-
partments will be abandoned by
President Harding because of his
inability to overcome the opposition
Of department heads to proposed
changes in their respective depart
ments. according to the belief ex-
pressed by two members of the Cab
met yesterday.
n Inquiry at the White House re-
Yvealed that recent reports to the
effect that the reorganization plan
Is ready for presentation to Con-
gress are unfounded. On the con-
trary. 1t was learned. the so-called
plan Is in such a loose form that
II cannot be presented to the Cab
met for discussion. Moreover, II
Is declared. the tentative provi-
sions Of the plan are such that
they have aroused the opposition
of all but three members of the
Cabinet
Opposition Overwhelming.
Opposition to the program. which
was drawn up by the joint Con-
gressional committee on reorgani-
ration of government departments,
headed by Walter +. Brown, per-
sonal representative of the Pres
ident. is understood to be so pro-
nounced that administration lead
ers despair of Cabinet support.
Since January, , II is pointed out.
the President has tried unsuccess-
fully to bring about an agreement
among his official family.
At the regular conference of the
the White House they were told
shat the reorganization program
eould not be dis s.ussed at this time.
I was indicated further that no
riennite decisions have been reached
On the main features of the plan.
- The only chance for carrying out
the reorganization program. in the
opinion Of Cabinet members. is for
the President TO turn the entire mat
ter over to Congress without rec
ommendation.
This course, however, presages
such protracted discussion that It
is believed that any attempt to re-
organize the government In this
way would prove futile. Without
Endorsement by the administration.
II was asserted, no program OF re-
organization could be passed in the
present Congress.
VIII Garry Recommendation.
That te President will send the
report of Mr.. Brown to Congress
without recommendation is regard
ed as unlikely, due to the fact
that the reorganization program Is
essentially an administration meas
ure. 1t Is generally admitted in
White House circles that the Pres
ident has in the reorganization pro-
gram now before him a probable
wLource Of embarrassment To pre-
sent the plan to Congress. 1t Is said
would be to arouse the members
of his Cabinet. while to withhold
the program would mean that he
must assume responsibility for fall
ure to carry out one of the lmpor-
tant administration promises.
Up to this time. an inquiry at the
departments revealed. Chairman
Brown has conferred with less than
half of the department heads con-
cerned in the ompartant proposals
of the reorganization program. He
has reached agreement with only
two OF those with whom he has
conferred These include Secretary
of Commerce Hoover, who advo-
Gates the transfer of the Bureau
of Markets from the Department
of Agriculture to his department.
and Secretary of Interior Fall. who
Is known to be making a fight
for the 1s6.o0o.000 acres Of forest
lands controlled by the Depart
ment Of Agriculture.
On neither of these proposals has
Chairman Brown conferred with
Secretary of Agriculture Wallace,
IL was learned yesterday.
Defense Program Causes Row.
The proposal to combine the War
and Navy departments into a De-
partment of National Defense is un-
derstood to have features strongly
opposed by Secretary of War Weeks.
The division of national resources
proposed for the Department af Ma
tional Defense is said to be opposed
by Secretary Fall on the ground that
IL might restrict some of the pow
ers now exercised by the Interior
Department over mineral, oil and
forest lands
The removal Of enforcement
functions Of the Treasury Depart
ment. including narcotic drug regu-
lation and prohibition enforcement,
is said to have met with objection
from Secretary Mellon. Other pro-
visions relating to the limiting of
the Treasury activities to fiscal mat
ters only are not approved by the
Secretary.
Abandonment of the reorEaniza-
tion program. it is pointed out.
would terminate the Cabinet contro-
versy between Secretaries Fall and
Wallace over the transfer of the
Forest Service from the Department
of Agriculture to the Interior. OBJ
servers declare that such an out
come would be distinct victory for
Wallace and a vindication Of his
stand in opposition to the change.
Would BE Defeat for Fall.
bt the same time. il is declared.
II would be a clear defeat for Sec
retary Fail. The long fight of the
Secretary Of the Interior. extending
over a period of fourteen months.
will be lost If the reOrga nization
plan is abandoned at this time. ac-
cordinc to those who have followed
the controversy.
The only provision of the reor-
ganizatlon pan on which there is