Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-01-20
PRESIDENTIAL POSSIBILITIES
TOLD OF BY HASkIN
Daily Letter by Frederic J. Haskin

WASHINGTON. Jan. 2o:-f
Herbert Hoover is still in the Hard
ing cabinet a year hence 1t Is a fair
| assumption that he will not be a
candidate for the Republican NOM
| iuation for president in the 1924
campaign. At this time there is
nothing to indicate that he does not
purpose continuing indefinitely in his
post as secretary of commerce. New
ertheIess Mr.. Hoover is regarded by
well informed observers as distinctly
a presidential possibility.
1t would not follow necessarily
that he would become a candidate
If he resigned from the cabinet.
| Secretary Fall is quitting the Hard
| ing official family on March 4 and
no one has the slightest idea that he
has aspirations toward the presi-
dency. Mr.. Hoover might retire n
still hold himself aloof from next
| years fight. He might do this from
| considerations of loyalty to the man
with whom he has been associated
closely since March 4, 1921, and he
might do 1t because of a belief that
he would fare better were he to
make his bid for presidential honors
in 1928.
But if the commerce secretary
does leave the cabinet during h
present year it will be difficult 10
! convince the political wiseacres that
! he is not doing so in order to be free
to enter the 1924 lists. He IS as
| sumed to have ambitions ookln TO
the White House as the most desir-
| able Washington residence, n ne
| has friends who look upon him as a
man Of destiny.
There have been rumors, too, that
MI. Hoover has not been entirely
happy in his present position. rms
is moi ascribed to any lack of mar
monv in his relations with President
Harding, but rather to dlsappolht-
/ ment at not having been aoIe 10 ac-
| complish much that he hoped TO &C
compIish when he took the com
MERGE portfolio. He is said TO nave
had big plans for the department
when he undertook it's
tion-to have believed that II couru
he made of first importance IN gov
ternmental affairs. 1t az understood
that in the proposed reorganization
of the executive departments ne pc
Iieved that his department would Dc
greatly enlarged in scope and power
and that he would have opportunl-
ties for service that none of his pre-
decessors had enjoyed.
However,, the general reorganlza-
ton program is yet in abeyance' Inc
Department of Commerce remains
unchanged, except in so far as MI.
Hoover has been able to effect read
iusfments and extensions within 1t,
and what he has done in that nne
has been at the expense of mucn
trial and tribulation. He a foul
of what every man encounters VINO
seeks to improve any branch or the
Government service-the inertia and
immutability of bureaucracy.
Bureaucrats Here Forever
Cabinet officials come and go
even presidents come and go-pul
the bureaucrats are here forever
Their ways are mysterious and their
nowar is amazing. Some are pro-
tected by the Civil Service, others by
q. presumption of their fitness based
ON their long tenure, and still other
by political influence that has peer
known TO worst a secretary when u
came to a showdown. They are oe'
termined that there shall be ne
changes in the government service
save increases in personne! wltnlr
their own jurisdictions ana e4ten,
sions of their W petty powers, ane
through long experience they KNOW
how to play the game 10 tnaI emu.
Secretary Hoover knows a grea'
deal more about this than he did wv
years age, and it Is quite POSSIBLY
that he may have the idea that N
would like to be president II Tor NJ
other reason than to be able TO snoV
the bureaucrats a trick or two' ou
OF course he has other reasons.
Few men are 81 well equipped an
so well situated to get into the pren
/, Dental running. In the hrst place
he has an independent fortune an
can well afford to dedicate ms III
to the public service, his AFFINITY !
J recognized, and his capacity for Worl
, has been demonstrated. Again, sine
he came into prominence as IN
head of the American Relief Com
mittee early in the war he a ENJOY
ed publicity of a favorable characte
such as few men receive In q lie
time. His friends say this q con-
about because Mr.. Hoover has de
served it. Some who are not so war;
= in their admiration of him say tina
! it is due to the fact that he mas
greater genius for achieving public
ity than for anything else. Howeve
that may be, publicity is n OF tn
great problems of presidential af
pirants, and it has been solved a.
ready in a large degree for ~
lHocepers On TOD Cd al thtSs -