Evening star., 1924-08-31
"LITTLE CABINET' ACTIVE
WHILE CHIEFS ARE At PLAY
Under-Secretaries in Departments Brought Into
Linnelight During Summer Vacation Period
in Washington.

In Summer the t1ittle Cabinet must
experience collectively some Of the
sensations of the understudy suddenly
thrust into the limelight through the
illness of the star. For the members
of the Presidents official family are
then wont to steal away for a vaca-
ton or to embark upon prolonged
tours of inspection, leaving their de-
partments in the hands of their aids
and assistants.
This brings into prominence an un-
usually interesting group of men, who
play an important IL somewhat sub
merged role in administra ton activ-
tiles, but who are in general better
known to the public in their social
than in their official aspects.
The little Cabinet" dinners, held
monthly through the Winter, bring a
scant measure of publicity, as prob
lens Of general interest are threshed
out and progress is made in co-ordi-
mating the work of the various de-
partments. But it is really only in
Summer that the various undersecre-
taries have an opportunity to show
what they can do.
The Secretary of State, Charles
Evans Hughes. passed the greater
part of the Summer in Europe. at
tending the meetings of the American
Bar Association in London and visit
ing France and Germany. Andrew
w. Mellon. Secretary of the Treas
ury. is still abroad, having sailed
early in June and being scheduled
to return in September. John w.
Weeks, Secretary of War, has been
on vacation in New Hampshire off and
on several weeks. A majority of the
Cabinet officers has been away. their
assistants being left in charge.
A Trained Diplomat.
Secretary Hughes went away real
izing that the Underscretary of State,
Joseph c. Grew, is trained diplo-
mat and a canny citizen. In fact,
both the State Department and the
Treasury Department boast such un-
usually competent men on their staffs
that their successful functioning is
assured, no matter what crisis might
arise in the absence of the chief.
While Mr.. Mellon is away the Act
ing Secretary of the Treasury is
Garrard Winston, normally Undersec-
retary, and he is backed up by such
men as the Assistant Secretary, Eliot
Wadsworth and Charles S. Dewey,
and other trained executives.
In the administration of the work
of the State Department. Secretary
Hughes and Mr.. Grew have the as
sistance of men of the calibre of
Leland Harrison and J. Butler Wright
and of Wilbur ]. Carr, director of the
Consular Service, who has just been
made Assistant Secretary in recogni-
tion of his work in reorganizing the
consular branch of our foreign serv-
ice. long the Governments stepchild
and placing it on a parity with the
service.
IoSenh Crew G one pf tho little
group of career men" who have
worked their way through the vari-
Gus stages of the service to minis
terial rank, proving that ability is
som etimes rewarded in the Govern
ment service and that the diplomatic
plums do not all go to political ap-
pointees. Beginning with an unim-
portant consular post, he has served
in many parts of the world, and be-
fore being appointed to succeed Will
liam Phillips as Undersecretary of
State he served for some time as
minister to Switzerland Perhaps his
most important detail, however, was
as American commissioner in Aus
tria- Hungary when diplomatic rela-
tions with the dual empire were first
resumed by the United States follow
ing tho war and before ministers to
the two nations into which the en-
Upon the Third Assistant Secretary
Of State. a post now filled by ]. Butler
Wright. devolves the pleasant duty
Of representing Uncle Sam in the en-
Of foreign princes and
potentates; and under his jurisdic-
ton come the various social amenities
Of an official character in which the
State Department is involved. Mr..
Wright, for example. was detailed to
meet H. r. H. the Prince of Wales
upon his arrival in New York and to
him when he came to
to pay his respects to
President Coolidge.
This would seem to be a particular
ly happy chance, for Mr. Wright was
of the American Embassy
in London several years and during
that period formed an acquaintance
with the prince which warmed into
genuine friendship.
Mrs. Wright, who was Miss Harriet
was a Washington girl,
the daughter of Rear Admiral and
Mrs William r Southerland. Her
to the young diplomat took
place just as Mr.. Wright was detailed
to the London post. An interesting
experience of her girlhood days was
4 visit to the Island of Sulu, which
her father took over for the United
States during the Spanish-American
War.
Just before coming to Washington,
Mr.. Wright was sent to Chile as sec
-etary to the American delegation to
he American Congress sitting
here last Summer. He also repre-
sented Uncle Sam at the Brazilian
Centennial Exposition in Rio de
Janeiro.
Leland Harrison. First Assistant
Secretary of State, is a bachelor and
has seen varied service, although his
1etails have not been of spectacular
interest. The post of Second Assis-
ant Secretary is vacant at present,
out was filled for more than so years,
through changing administrations, by
he late Alvey A. Adee.
Twenty Years in Service.
Mr.. Carr. the director of the Con-
'ular Service, has been connected
herewith for 20 years or more. and it
vas largely through his devoted
work that the Rogers bill. reorganiz-
ng the service, was drawn up in it's
form and pushed through
1t raised the pay of consul
ar and diplomatic officers, provided a
system of allowances and a retire.
nent fund, and made possible an in
.erchange between diplomatic and
posts. Mrs. Carr is one of
he most popular women of the Lit
lie Cabinet" set. and is regarded as a
sort of big sister by consular officers
LII over the world, who flock to her
house as soon as they reach Wash
ngton.
Garrard Winston, the Undersecre-
airy of the Treasury, is admittedly
me of the most brilliant of the group
II administration officials-and one of
he most popular. While there are