Evening star., 1922-06-24
PRESIDENT HOLDS
NO 0GAG ON CABINET
Members Free to Express
Views, 1t Is Announced After
Weeks Controversy.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

President Harding feels that every
member of his cabinet has right to
express himself on any subject with
out necessarily committing the ad-
ministration to his view. This atti-
tude. made known at the White House.
is regarded as the administrations
answer to the recent utterances of
Senator Capper of Kansas. who sug-
gested that Secretary of War Weeks
ought to resign because of his speech
suggesting modification of the Vol
stead laws and criticising the direct
primary.
The President has noted the speeches
in Congress and elsewhere comment
ing on Secretary Weeks addresses.
but has not felt that Mr.. Weeks was
expressing any official administration
opinion. but was giving simply his
own comments. Mr.. weeks. as for
mer member Of the United States Sem
ate from Massachusetts and before
that as prominent member of the
House of Representatives has had the
opportunity to make his own obServa
tions of modern tendencies in gov
ernment, and although his speeches
have aroused a storm of protest there
is every evidence now that Mr.. Hard
ing will not take him to task for
them even though he may disagree
with Mr.. Weeks.
Views in Accord.
1t so happens that on the question
Of the i'll effects of the direct primary
system President Harding is in ac-
cord with his Secretary of War. Mr..
Harding has openly advocated a re-
turn to the convention system of
nominations. After modification of
the dry laws the President hasn't
discussed that phase of prohibition at
all except to insist that he favored
rigid enforcement of present statutes.
Senator Chpper of kaneas. has.
however. accomplished something by
his attack on Mr.. Weeks. He has
forced the White House to differenti-
ate between a cabinet ministers view
and that of the administration. Some
times, members of a presidential cabi-
net take offense if it is pointed out
administration to which they belong.
In one case at least-that of Secre-
tary of War Garrison-a resignation
followed the inference that a member
of the cabinet might hold one view
and the administration approve the
adoption of another policy in Con-
gress.
Former President Wilson always
sought to have his cabinet ministers
confine their utterances to things
that would not embarrass the admins
tration. Under the present regime,
Will Hays. who until recently was
Postmaster General. used to take his
speeches to the White House and read
them to Mr.. Harding SO as to make
sure that he was rejecting accurate
ly the administration viewpoint.
Not willing to BE Censor.
The President doesn't feel that he
should act as censor over the utter
ances of his cabinet officers. If they
wish to bring their speeches to him
beforehand he will give them the
benefit of his counsel, but the Hard
ing idea is that democratic system
of government is best developed by
permitting freedom of speech inside
as well as outside the official circle.
The presumption is that Mr.. Har-
ding does not mean to be taken lit
orally, but that his idea embraces
only the discussion of subjects which
are not under consideration ofhcfally.
1t is not deemed probable that the
President would sanction, for in
stance, speeches favoring the bonus
by his Secretary of the Treasury.
while he opposed the grant of bo-
nus. Nor would it be approved If
MIR Hoover were to make speeches
favoring the league of nations as he
did before entering the cabinet. But
most cabinet members will be dis
Greet enough to draw the line be-
tween matters pending in caolnet
council and those which are genera!
in character. and which may be said
to be academic questions 80 far as
immediate action by the government
is concerned. Freedom of speech for
cabinet officers really means discre-
ton, after all, with little more toll
erance on Mr.. Harding's part than
has been presidential custom. =
Copyright, 192c.)