Evening star., 1923-08-12
MELLON TO RETIRE,
-.
LEADERS BELIEVE
Secretary of Treasury Has
Long Sought to Quit Post,
Friends Declare.
by HARDEN COLFAX.

The retirement of Secretary Mel
Ion from the cabinet is being dis
cussed in inner circles in Washing
ton as a probable development of the
next few weeks.
a desire of long standing; to re-
linquish public Office so that he may
get back to the pressing demands
of his numerous private affairs has
been strong in Secretary Melons
thoughts for the past year or more.
on three occasions, the writer is re-
liably informed Mr.. Mellon preached
the subject to the late President
Harding and on one of these occa
sions Mr.. Harding is reported to have
had some little difficulty in using his
persuasive powers to induce the Sec
retary OF the Treasury to remain in
office
1t is regarded here as almost GER
tain that after a becoming period of
time Mr. Mellon will renew his re-
quest to President Coolidge that he
be permitted to retire. Observers
here believed that one of the reasons
why Mr.. Mellon cut short his Euro
pean trip after the death of Pres-
ident Harding was a desire to place
President Coolidge, as speedily as
possible, in the position of having
free hand to appoint to the Treasury
X,
should he desire TO do so.
Record PIeases Leaders.
Mr.. Mellon is regarded by admin
istration leaders here as one Of the
conspicuous successes of the Hard
ing cabinet. He is ranked by those
leaders with Hughes and Hoover in
ability and constructive genius. But.
at the same time. it is admitted with
al - q NO tI,a ,.Ir Afn11
was called upon to undertake when
he assumed office has been largely
accomplished and that the financial
problems of today are neither so
pressing nor SO great as those he
solved at the outset of his admin
istration.
In other words, as Washington sees
II. Mr.. Mellon is nearing completion
of the most difficult phases of the
work he undertook when Harding
was inaugurated and his retirement
now would not be attended by the
hardship that would have marked it
a year or more ago. 1t was then
Mr. Mellon first suggested to Presi-
dent Harding that he be allowed to
withdraw from public life.
Would Leave Task Done.
With the British funding debt set
tlement an accomplished fact to blaze
the way for the settlement of other
foreign debts, with the tax revision
law in operation for nearly two years
and with government receipts exceed
Ing government expenditures Mr. Mel
lon would leave the Treasury in a
strong position. There are no major
financial problems pressing for soiu-
tion now other than a possible re-
vision of the tax laws by the next
Congress, and Mr. MELONS views as
to what should be done already are
well known
Those views run somewhat counter
to the opinion of some of the more
vocal leaders In the next Congress,
just as they ran somewhat counter
to the ideas of the leaders who work.
ed out the revenue law of 1921
Mr.. Mellon, rated by some persons
as the fourth richest man in the
world, has done much, his admirers
say, to create a feeling of confidence
in the administration in business
circles.
Coolidge for Retention. r.
An indication of President Cool
idge's reaction to the possible resig-
nation of the Secretary of the Treas
ury is afforded, perhaps, by the Presi-
dents repeated declaration, during
the last week. of his desire to carry
out to the letter the Harding policies.
Positive instructions are reported to
have been given in several notable
instances involving policy to continue
without change the policies of Mr..
Harding.
President Coolidge. it is thought
likely. would make a strong effort to
induce Mr.. Mellon to remain in office.
On the other hand. Mr.. Mellon is
known to be extremely destrous of
retiring. Should he remain in the
cabinet, observers here believe II
would be only upon the urging Of his
chief. s..>.. .-=.-. -.