Evening star., 1924-11-24
FEW NEW CABINET
FACES EXPECTED
No Changes Likely Until After
March 4-Davis May
Remain.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Although the election Is three
weeks old. enough has happened to
indicate that few changes will be
made in the cabinet Of President
Coolidge on the 4th of March, and
that the real reorganization of the
official family will take place in the
interim after Congress has adjourned.
There is at the moment no GER
tainty that there will be a single
vacancy. Even James ]. Davis,
Secretary OF Labor. may stay. In an
nouncing the fact that Mr.. Davis had
volunteered his resignation, the
President was careful to indicate that
he still hoped to prevail on Mr.. Davis
to remain. There are certain circum-
stances under which he may be pre-
vailed upon.
The Job of selecting a Secretary of
Labor Is no easy one, and as rule
stirs up all sorts of factional diff
culties. the best solution of which
may prove IN this case the retention
OF the incumbent. Mr.. Davis relation
ship, however, to the Fraternal Order
OF the Moose, Of which he Is the
virtual head. may require his return
to private life.
WORK Way Leave f'OSt.
The only other vacancy that has
been regarded as certain Is that Of
the Interior Department. It has been
reported that Secreatry Work wishes
to leave on the 4th of March. but the
talk Is still In the vague stage.
Some cabinet officers like their jobs
so we'll that they naturally want to
stay. Others are more or less indif-
ferent and will stay If the President
insists. Technically all the cabinet
officers submit their designations to
take effect on March 4. but when an
administration is elected to succeed
perfunctory. Mr.. Coolidge. however,
fs in a somewhat different position.
He did not select all the men who
compose his cabinet. He is respon-
sible for Attorney General stone, Sec
retary Of the Navy Wilbur and the
new Secretary OF Agriculture, who
will. of course. stay only Till March
4. as he has been elected Governor of
West Virginia.
Hughes, Secretary Of the Treasury
Mellon, Secretary Of Commerce
Hoover, Secretary Of War Weeks,
Secretary Of the Interior Work, Sec
rotary OF Labor Davis and Postmaster
General New as the apporntees OF the
late President Harding. Because Of
the individual relationship to their
portfolios, the retention of Messrs.
Hughes, Mellon and Hoover may be
regarded as sure.
Immediate Changes Unlikely.
The other four portfolios may not
see immediate changes, but some of
the incumbents might of their own
initiative desire to return to private
~
Weeks and Mr.. New are former mem
bers of the United States Senate. Mr..
Weeks was caught in maelstrom Of
local politics in Massachusetts, in
1918 after a good legislative record
in the Senate here. Mr.. New was the
victim Of division in his own party
In Indiana when he lost to Beveridge
in the primaries. and then Beveridge
was in turn beaten by Ralston, Demo-
crat. Fractional quarrels played a
part in the final result.
Summarizing the entire cabinet
situation, therefore, the chances OF
change would seem to narrow down
to four portfolios-War Department,
Labor, Interior, Post Office, and of
these Labor and Interior are the
only ones in which there has been an
indication that the incumbents are
anxious to return to private life.
The cabinet OF President Coolidge
on the whole will undergo little
change for another year at least.
Copyright. 1924