The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-02-29

IASHINGTON, Feb 29.-Josepk
IWI M. Dixon, Governor Of Mon
LII tana, is being suggested as
successor to Edwin DENLY, Secretary
of the Navy.
From what is said by Montana
folks and from the recollection they
have of him IN the House and Senate,
where he once served, Dixon may be
an admirable choice.
| He is best remembered by news
paper readers as the Western man
ager of Theodore Roosevelts bull
moose campaign in 1912. Since then
he has dropped out of the national
eye
Four years ago he was elected Gov
ernor of his State on the Republican
ticket. defeating Burton K. Wheeler,
present Senator
He was elected as a conservative,
but has been anything but satisfactory
to his conservative hackers, which
means, in Montana, the Anaconda
Copper Mining Company. AS Gov
ernor he has been responsible for tax
| ing this concern far beyond what it
Course ATTRACTS Attention
His course has attracted attention.
There has been talk of recent months
Of drafting him for the vice presiden-
tial nomination on a ticket with Cool
idge. There has been talk, too, he
might make the race against Walsh
for the Senate. The latters work in
the oil investigation, however, is be-
lieved to have made his position so
strong at home Dixon's chances would
be dubious. Having been a congress-
man. Senator and a Governor, it is
not unlikely he would like to round
out his career with a term in the
cabinet
Dixon is credited with exceptional
political intelligence and with admin
istrative ability He is a lawyer. but
has devoted most of his time, when
not in Office, to publishing a news
paper.
DENLY Fails on job
The signal failure of Edwin DENLY
as civilian head Of the Navy has
brought about considerable discussion
Of the qualities necessary for the Job.
The consensus among Washington OBJ
servers is that a secretary of the Navy
must have knowledge OF men and
affairs and that he must haVs COM
mon sense and courage.
He must be able to understand the
problems of the Navy Department and
must have the courage to apply his
own judgment. despite pressure of the
uniformed experts who surround him.
There is bound to be lots OF poll
tics" in the Navy, loyal and patriotic
though the personnel is. A weak sec
rotary soon finds himself hopelessly
enmeshed among professional and So
cial ambitions The one remedy for
naval politics is to send the politicians
to sea.
Daniels Shows Courage
The experience of Josephus Daniels
pretty well illustrates what a straight
thinking civilian with courage can
do in the Navy Department Daniels.
like every predecessor in his office,
found the inside coterie of naval OF.
ficers ready to run his job for him.
All he would have to do, it was in
timated was TO look pleasant and
watch the wheels so round. Daniels
squashed that program and undertook
TO penetrate the mystery thrown UP
around naval affairs to mystify sim
pie landlubbers.
He encountered terrific opposition.
but by the end OF the eight years
he had the complete confidence of
all naval men and the personal liking
of most. Despite propaganda leveled
at Daniels by the armor plate inter
ests and the oil interests. they rate
him pretty high in the Navy itself
And when Daniels retired the House
Naval Committee, a majority of the
members Republicans. gave him din.
ner in appreciation OF his services. 1t
was the first such dinner on record.
Summed up, a successful secretary
of the Navy is man ready to face 6
year or two of personal unpopularity
in hope OF winning his reward TO.
honest service at tn eend.