Evening star., 1925-01-06
STONES SUCCESSOR
TASK FOR COOLIDGE
Rugg, Dietrich, Warren, Beck
and Wilbur in Forefront of
Those Mentioned.

President Coolidge today for the sec
ond time within year set about find
ing new Attorney General.
Harlan F. Stone of New York, Sc
lected as head of the Department of
Justice nine months ago, after the re-
tirement of Harry NJ Daugherty, was
given appointment yesterday by the
President to the Supreme Courtroom
sidered by the legal fraternity gen.
orally as the highest honor within its
reach.
The nomination of Mr.. Stone was
sent to the Senate within five hours
after the vacancy on the highest court
was created through the retirement of
Associate Justice Joseph McKenna, who
himself was appointed to the court
from the Attorney Generalship 81 years
ago by President Mckinley.
Coolidge Acts Quickly.
The desire of Justice McKenna to
leave the court was communicated to
the President several weeks ago, and
accordingly the formal announcement
of his retirement was followed by quick
action at the White House The Execu-
tive evidently had discussed the matter
previously with Mr.. Stone, but the final
conference was not held until yester-
day afternoon. An hour later the NOM
ination of Mr.. Stone was sent to the
Senate and was referred by that body
to tbs judiciary committee. in accord
ance with custom.
While Mr.. Stone will not leave the
Department of Justice until his nom
ination is confirmed by the Senate,
usually in such cases a matter of
routine, thought must be given i'm
mediately by Mr.. Coolidge to the ap-
pointment of a successor. All indi-
cations of an official nature are that
he has not even reached any prelim-
mary conclusions, but Immediately
after the appointment of Mr.. Stone
was announced dozen names were
being mentioned in connection with
the office.
Those Already Mentioned.
Among these were some of those
mentioned at the time Mr.. Coolidge
was seeking a successor to Mr..
Daugherty, including Arthur p. Rugg,
chief justice of the Supreme Judicial
Court of Massachusetts; Judge Frank
S. Dietrich of Idaho and Charles b.
Warren, former Ambassador to Japan
and joint head of the special Ameri-
can commission to Mexico.
The Immediate speculation also in
cluded the possibility of promotion of
James M. 6eCh, now SOLICITOR General
and who will become Acting Attorney
General upon the retirement of Mr.
Stone, and of the transfer of Curtis
d. Wilbur, former chief justice of the
Supreme Court of California, from the
seCretaryship of the Navy to the De-
partment OF Justice.
The President decided upon Mr..
Stone in making his first appointment
to the Supreme Court because of
his confidence in the Attorney Cen
eral born of long acquaintance start
ing with the time when they were
coneSe mates at Amherst; MS belief
that the Attorney General was emf
nently fitted by education. experience
and temperament for the work of
the Nations highest court, and his
satisfaction with his work as At
torney General in the nine months he
has been in the cabinet.
Left Good Private Place.
Mr. Stone entered the cabinet last
April at a time when he had just
retired as dean of the Columbia Law
School and had accepted a place in a
New York law firm with the pros
pect of initial earnings, according to
his associates, of 100000 a year. The
oItct oil associate justice OF the
Supreme Court pays $14,50O.
The Department of Justice at the
time Mr. Stone entered it was under
investigation by the Senate. 1t has
been partially reorganiZed by Mr..
Stone and the prosecuting activities
of the Government eXtenued into a
number of lines, notably including
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