Evening star., 1924-03-13
CHAPTER XVIII.
Nbat Woodrow Wilson Thought OF
His Own Cabinet.

Nbat Woodrow Wilson Thought OF
His Own Cabinet.
Mr.. Wilson's occasional impatience
with his cabinet was not due to any
Jack of confidence in their respect
iTe Judgments. He accepted advice
whole -heartedly on questions arising
IL their own departments, but there
were not more than two or three men
in the cabinet whose opinions he
Valued on problems outside of those
departments.
1t is unfortunately characteristic
of the American system Of govern
lnent that cabinet officers become alb
sorbed in the details of tlpeir own de-
partments and have neither the time
nor the inclination to analyze other
questions. Men like Franklin X.
Lane, Secretary of the Interior, how
ever. who always studied the ebb and
flow Of the public opinion. brought
10 the cabinet table we'll defined
otinions on questions relating to
Mexico and foreign affairs. There
were others who did likewise, but
Mr.. Wilson realized as he listened to
the cabinet discussion that none but
the Secretary of State and himself
was as familiar with the details of a
foreign question. For this reason Mr..
Wilson fell into the habit of deciding
many questions of foreign policy in
conference with the Secretary of
State alone. He followed the same
plan with the heads of other depart
ments. Frequently after a general
Ga binet discussion he would have a
series of engagements with indi-
Nidual cabinet members, in which
more important subjects were dis
cussed than at the cabinet meeting
itself
Didn't Enjoy Criticisms.
The President would occasionally
bring to the cabinet meeting diplo-
matte note to a foreign government
and ask for opinions. but he did not
enjoy the procedure. Too often hair
splitting arguments resulted and the
clash of opinions left him in a guam
Diary and made him wish that he had
not broached the subject at ALL On
political questions he would some
times ask the opinion Of the mem
bers of the cabinet because he
thought their contacts and expert
ences in public life would enable
them at least to express individual
viewpoints.
The cabinet did very little legis-
lating. 1t was an advisory council
not a board OF directors. Mr.. Wilson
was quick to sense the general opin-
ion at the table and tactfully termi-
mated the discussions when he
thought they had gone far enough
to bring out the views of all.
Taken as a whole Mr. Wilson never
shared the feeling of some critics
that his cabinet was weak one. He
conceded its inexperience The demo-
cratic party had not been in power
for sixteen years, and, therefore, had
no opportunity to develop cabinet
timber. Mr.. Wilson had, in fact, to
reconstruct the democratic party.
lie realized in later days that some
or his cabinet selections might have
been better, but as a historian he
knew that cabinets were never per-
feet and that his advisers were the
best that q combination of politics
and personal trust could bring to-
Sether. For, after all, what counted
more with Woodrow Wilson than any
thing else was personal loyalty And
in almost all cases that meant a
mind which might suggest differences,
but which in tho last analysis would
go along Enthusiastically with his.
Few Changes in Cnbinet.
Changes in the Wilson ca abinet dur
ing eight years of the democratic
administration were relatively few
in number. When Mr.. McReynolds
was elevated to the Supreme Court of
the United Sattes Col House was
instrumental in the selection Of
Thomas w. Gregory of Texas as At
torney General to succeed him. Mr..
Palmer, who had been offered the
Secretaryship of War in 1913, but
who declined it because of his Qua
ker convictions against war, had not
felt that he was properly recognized
Mr.. Wilson was aware of this feeling
and endeavored to correct it by ap-
pointing Mr. Palmer to be alien
property custodian in 1917 and later
Attorney General when Mr. Gregory
resigned.
Mr.. Wilson was convinced that the
Secretary of War ought to be a law
Yer, and this was one Of the reasons
why he asked Mr.. Palmer to tase
the post. When Mr.. Palmer declined
Mr.. Wilson turned in perplex:ty to
his private secretary. Mr. Tumulty.
who recommended Vice Chancellor