Evening star., 1923-08-19
BY &. GOULD LINCOLN.


ment last week by President Coolidge
of former Representative Charles
Bascom Slemp of Big Stone Gap. Va.
The Presidency with its manifold
duties today has been called a man
killing job. Since the death of the
late President Harding there has been
"A demand from many quarters for
some relief for the Chief Executive.
Mrs. Douglas Robinson, sister of
President Roosevelt has been quoted
as saying: 'the American people must
simply stop killing their Presidents
Plan to Help Presidents.
Obviously one way Of relieving
Presidents Of part of the work thrust
upon them by their office is to give
them some one to help them. \ plan
of reorganization of the executive
departments of the government work.
ed out by Walter F. Brown. chairman
of the snecial committee appointed
for this purpose through act of Con-
EresS. has taken into consideration
the conditions which confront
President today. and il has provided
not only for deputiZing the President
10 sign many of the thousands of
documents to which he must affix his
signature today, but ii has also pro-
Ntded for two secretaries to the
PRESIDENT. one personal secretary
and the other an executive secretary.
President Colidge has taken the
bull by the horns. He has appointed
as his personala secretary Edward T.
Clark. who has been with him ever
since he came to Washing ton as Vice
President and who is eminentIy
qualified for the task. For his
executive secretary. he has appointed
Mr.. Slemp a man Of wide experiences
man in his early 1fties. man of
means and of ambition. 1t is true
that the office of secretary to the
President still stands undivided and
there Is no provision made by law
for personal secretary and an
executive secretary. But the effect
Of the action of President Coolidge
will be- the same.
Compared to Cabinet Omcer
The office of secretary to the Pres
fdent has been compared to that of a
cabinet nfiicer-has been declared to
be more important indeed than
the head of some Of the executive de-
partments. Many men of ability
have held the office in the past 1t
has been for some of them "A stepping
stone to greater tasks. John Hay,
private secretary to Lincoln became
later Secretary of State. George B.
tortelyou. secretary to President
Roosevelt. was the first Secretary of
the Department of Commerce and
Labor. then combined, and later was
Postmaster General Daniel Lamont
secretary to Grover Cleveland, was
later Secretary Of War; Charles u.
Hilles secretary to President Taft
and Joseph P. Tumulty. secretary to
President Wilson wrr. all recogniz-
ed as powers in the administration
with which they were connected.
Appointment neNperted.
The appointment of Mr.. Slemp. as
has been said. created an immediate
stir. In the first place. it was to-
tally unexpected. In that respect it
is predicted that it is but the first
OF aseries of unexpected appointments
which may come from President
Coolidge. In the second place it was
seized upon by critics of the Presf-
dent as a play into the hands of the
politicianS-because Mr.. Slemp has
been recognized as a politician of
politicians, particularly in the south
ern field
The word went forth that the Pres
ident had east his hat in the ring for
nomination for the presidency next
Year, and that he was after the south
ern deleg cations to the next republican
national convention. AS "A matter of
TACT, practically every newspaper in
the country had predicted that Mr..
Coolidge would be a prominent con-
tender for the republican nomination
next year days before the appoint
ment Of Mr. Slemp was announced.
Furthermore, if Mr.. Coolidge makes
good as President as his supporters
confidently predicted he will. he is
going to have the delegations at the
convention any way-and if he don't
make good, all the SIemps in the
country could not get the delegates
for him.
Sponsors for Mr. SIemp.
Among the sponsors fof Mr.. Slemp's
appointment are Speaker Gillett and
Secretary of War Weeks. both from
the Presidents own state of Massa-
chusetts. Strange that these north
ern men should have turned TO Vir-
Dif,ia oct flr fn
President. unless they believed that
he had qualities which specially fitted
him for the post. Mr.. Gillett can
speak by the book so far as Mr..
Slemp is concerned. He has worked
with him in the House, where Mr..
Slemp was the sole republican from
the state of Virginia for some four
teen years. and has played with him
on the golf links. And Speaker
Gillett has declared the appointment
of Slemp IAN exceedingly appy
appointment; that Mr.. Slemp has an
agreeable personality, a wise political
head. a thorough knowledge of the
government, acquired in part as a
member of the House appropriations
committee. a private income that re-
moves him from any temptation to
use Is office for speculative purposes;
he has popularity in Congress. an
acquaintance with all prominent re-
publicans throughout the country.
This is the estimate of the Speaker.
1t is expected that Mr.. Slemp will
sdo much to relieve the President.