Evening star., 1923-08-19
<sTELL IT TO SLEMP," TO BE
: PRESIDENTS PROTECTION
New Secretary to MIR. Coolidge Expected
to Greatly Lighten Exec
utive Burdens.

all. are more personal to them than
If interest to the country.
Mr. Slemp is mild d-mannered, gen.
tie of speech. polished. we'll educated,
and upon first acquaintance appears
to be extremely retiring and re-
served. But il is said of him that
he is intensely ambitious and that
features of the office of secretary to
the President are not without their
appeal to him. AdrOit in politics, he
has a record of never having been
defeated at the polls--and this re-
publican In Virginia. His friends say
that he can see the handwriting on
the wall. and as evidence of this
point to the fact that he absolutely
declined to stand for reelection last
November because he foresaw certain
defeat for the republican nominee in
the congressional district which he
had carried seven consecutive times.
He was born in 1870. but looks to be
In the forties rather than the fifties.
Mr.. Slemp received his early polit-
ical training under the late Alvah
Martin. republican national commit
teeman for many years for Virginia.
In the republican national organiza-
tion Martin was one of the group of
old guard republicans that included
the late Senator Crane of Massachu-
setts. Penrose of Pennsylvania and
others who directed the destinies OF
the republican party prior to 1912.
Slemp later succeeded TO the repub-
liCan national committe eemanship from
Virginia himself. He became in large
part republican political leader for the
south.
The close relationship that existed
between the late Senator Crane and
Calvin Coolidge is written in the po-
litical history of Massachusetts, but
not more plainly than the relation
ship which existed between Bascom
Slemp and Alvah Martin. political coli
league of Senator Crane. is written in
the political history of Virginia. The
turn of the political wheel finds
Coolidge President of the United
States and Slemp also in highly i'm
portant post in the White House.
His Only Appointive ONCE.
Mr.. Slemp is far removed from the
secretarial type. He has been an en-
ployer of secretaries. The only ap-
pointive Office he has accepted is that
which he is now to fill.
The new secretary is expected to
prove an important liaison officer
between the President and Congress-
entirely aside from his political
strength in the south. He is credited
with much political sagacity. He
and knows the influences potent there.
Mr.. Slemp inherited political power.
as he inherited wealth, from his father,
Col. Campbell Slemp. who also was
4 representative from the only repub-
Gcan district in Virginia. This in
cludes the counties in the southwest
ern part of the state, the cities of
Charlottesville. where the historic
University of Virginia is located;
Harrisonburg anad Winchester and
the valley of the Shenandoah. He is
said to be a conservative as the re-
suit of tradition. He studied at "the
university"
In the preconvention campaign
three years ago Mr.. Slemp worked
with Senator Moses Of New Hamp-
shire in the interest of Gen. Leonard
Wood in the southern states. and with
some measure of success. If Mr..
Coolidge is to be a candidate for the
nomination-and it is believed he
will-Mr. Slemp is likely to prove a
very great help to his chief.
The principal point of attack made
upon Mr.. Slemp by the democratic
critics Of his appointment as secre-
tary to the President is found in the
charges made on the floor of the
House last session to the effect that
Mr.. Slemp had sanctioned the solicita-
ton of campaign funds from appli-
cants for federal office In the south.
Mr.. Slemp denied that any one was
authorized to make collections of
money with the promise of appoint
ment to Office. and if that had been
done. it was without his approval
The new secretary has many friends
in Washington society. He is some
what of A golf enthusiast, and the
golfing fraternity are hoping he will
lure the President into taking up the
ancient and honorable game.