Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-08-28
Washington, Recovering
From Shock of Appoint
ment, Believes Millionaire
Politician viii Make Good
Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
408 Evans Building.
BY THEODORE TILLEK

BY THEODORE TlLLEh
WASHINGTON. Aug. 25.-f all
the politicians and newspaper CORE
spondents in Washington each mao
been given one hundred guesSes at
the name Of the man President Cal
vim Coolidge would appoint as mis-
private secretary it is a clnch pet
that not one of them would nave
picked former Representative I. Bias
com Slemp. of Virginia.
Bascom Slemp himself was as
much surprised as anybody else.
And if President Coolidge moves as
mysteriously and Unexpectedly in
other things as III the Slemp APP
pointment he'll keep the country
guessing during his time in office.
Mr. Slemp was resting down IN
Big Stone Gap. Va, when he received
a message asking that he come TO
Washington for conference with
the new president. While Bascom
Slemp no doubt thought it was to be
a conference over politics, probably
about the distribution Of the UNI
served portions of Republican patron
age in the south-Mr. Slemp being
national committeeman from Virginia
and an expert on the ALLEGATION OF
Federal pie in the southern states.
Flabbergasted by Offer
Going into conference here with
the president the Nir3inian was
quickly flabbergasted by a presiden-
tial suggestion, a request, in fact,
that he take the private secretary
ship. If Calvin Coolidge had drawn
his small frame to its full height and
smote Bascom Slemp with an upper
cut, like Jack Dempsey might smite
Jess Willard, the Virginia gentleman
couldn't have been more taken aback.
Yet he took the job, the first sec
retarial job G. Bascom Slemp has
ever had. Mr.. Slemp looks as much
like a private secretary as f|hlet
Justice Taft resembles lean man.
in walking contest. Slemp has the
ability and all that, but it will take \
Washington a long time to accustom
itself to Semp in the office chair OF
George Christian, Joe Tumulty, Ere
Carpenter, Charles d. Hilles, William
Loeb, Jr., or George Bruce Cortelyou.
Former Representative Slemp has
never been tied down to a desk. AS
a member of congress he has taken
things rather easily since 1907. AS
the only Republican member from
Virginia, and most of the time the
only Republican from the south eX-
cepting a Republican or two that
Tennessee sends up this way, Mr..
Slemp has attended to such matters
as patronage and national politics,
performed chores from time to time
for his constituents, played golf and
travelled about. He has not been
chronic absentee from the house
floor but was never so afraid of his
congressional job that he dashed in
to answer every roll call. He has
possessed ample funds to hire secre-
taries to attend to the routine { hi"
office and his business affairs, albeit
the government supplied him with
capable clerical help.
Salary No Attraction
Mr.. Slemp is a millionaire, prOba-
bly, several times over. The salary
of a secretary to the president, 81
800 per year, holds no attraction for
him. He has been proffered jobs in
the government service, notably that
of commissioner of internal revenue,
that would have paid more. He has
had a goOdly share Of political hon
ors and titles. He owns two-or is
it three?-automob so the White
House car assigned to the secretary
to the president doesn't catch his eye
at all. The job he has accepted and
will begin to fill after Labor day
means hard work, so his acceptance
can be explained only on the ground |
Cf a desire to serve Mr. Coolidge ant !
to be of aid to his party.
1t is not believed here that Mr. !
Slemp will take over I'll the little !
routine duties that go with the big |
ger tasks Of a secretary to the pres !
ident. There will be assistants to tt
tend to many Of the smaller things. !
His contact with the president ant |
with the persons who call upon the |
president will be along more inn |
portant lines. Washington has about !
concluded that the Slemp app lint I
ment will work to the advantage of !
the president, Mr.. Slemp, and the |
country. That it will also enure to
the benefit of the Republican party |
is not doubted.
Accustomed to Authority
Mr.. SlemD, a man of large df- |
fairs in business and with valuable !
legislative experience, is accustOmeI'I
to leadership and to authority and !
the making OF important decisions. |
He is apart from the ordinary sec |
retarial type, which should mean |
that President Coolidge will be re
ljeved Of the disposition of numer- |
Gus matters of secondary importance |
that have plagued other presidents. |
Furthermore, c.. Bascom Sleml |
knows everybody worth while on |
Capitol hill. AS a member of the |
Republican national committee and !
one of the outstanding Republicans /
OF the south. he knows practical |
ly every politician and leader in his |
party. He also knows quite a few |
Democrats and their ways.
To a president like Mr.. Coolidge, |
who has spent most of his life to |
date in the realm of state politics, |
excepting two years in the orna- |
mental office Of the vice presidency |
Mr.. Slemp can and doubtless will |
be of invaluable assistance. If the |
president, whose hat is already re- |
garded as in the 1924 nomination |
ring, becomes perpleXed over a p0 |
litical move or its potential effect !
he has but to open the door, step !
into the next room, and get the ad !
vice of one Of the most sagacious |
politicians and stategists the RepCn- !
lican party has produced.
Political Significance
Already there is comment here
bitter comment from Democratic !
sources, in fact--that the Slemp ap-
pointment will herd the southern
delegates into the Coolidge cora,
at the 1924 convention. With block
OF southern delegates and another
block Of New England delegates,
both Republicans and Democrats see
that the new president will have
an excellent getaway from the post
in, the 1924 free-fOr-all.
In addition to all that, Mr.. Slemp
can serve his chief in many Other
ways. He can steer him away FROM
"entangling alliances with the I'm.