The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-03-20
Harding Abandons Dream or Consolidating War and
 Navy Cabinet Department
Plan Caused Friction Among Members of Presidents Po- ,litiCaI FamiIy-Breaches Are Now Healed
By HUGH ". ROBERTS

Washington Bureau, The Age-Herad.
 800 Davidson Building.
 Washington, March 1s.-(special,) The heroic dream of consolidating the war and navy departments, and for the sake of efficiency and econ omy, reorganizing ali other depart ments of the government, which has been entertained by the President ever since he was a member of the Senate, has been permitted to dis solve into the stuff that dreams are made of.
 H. H. Brown of Ohio, warm per- sonal friend of the President, selected by the President to be his successor in the Senate, but who failed of cleo ton, came to Washington, and with the assistance of members of the House and Senate, made study of the departmental situation. lie evolved 9 scheme which would have put into effect the dream of the President.
 But the cabinet would have noth- ing of it. Each cabinet officer hes itated to lose bureau which the plan would have put under another department, and each cabinet officer hesitated to accept new bureaus which the plan would have placed under new Jurisdiction.
 tuDiuNt
 As matter of fact, the President had to give up his plan or suffer the disruption of his cabinet. Great bitterness was engendered imme- diately after the plan was published and brought to the attention of the cabinet Actual friction developed between Secretary Fall of the inter for department and Secretary Wal lace of the department of agriculture and ii was at one time reported that the former had restated his in- tention to retire from the cabinet.
 This course would have caused others to submit resgnations. The President, it is understood, to avert the disaster. abandoned his dream. As result. cabinet breaches are healed. Secretary Hoover has de- clined to accept lucrative position with a fair association of Pennsyl- vania. and there Is no longer talk of the resignation of Secretaries Mel lon and Hughes.
 In Congress there is apparently little regret that the postmaster general. Will Hays. has departed. He was great advertiser, seeker after publicity and poser of a per petual smile. Representative Mann of Illinois, is especially glad that Hays has gone He declared in the House that that gentleman as an executive had not heen worth a rive cent piece
 President Disappointed
 The abandonment of the reorgan- lzation scheme reminds one of the innumerable plans of the admins tration which have been worked out then abandoned The President has returned from his Florida trip to find prospect of khe ratification of the four power treaty very excel lent, But wherever else he turns. he meets disappointment.
 The tariff is deadlocked, the bonus is deadlocked and conflict between republican politicians and executive officials raSes; the House and the secretaries of the war and navy de- partments are struggling furiously regarding the size of the army and navy. The tax bill enacted into law, does not suit the President or members of Congress and must be rewritten.
 Everything Is in a Jamb and a scramble. The President is actually distressed. And the country, whien seres for relief. w!li soon express Itself at the polls in the congress sional elections