Evening star., 1925-10-14
M'N|DER REGARDED
CERTAIN CHOICE AS
DAVIS ASSISTANT
Former Legion Head May
Get War Department Post
by Saturday.
REPORTED SELECTION
WINS POPULAR FAVOR
New War Secretary Takes Oath Of
Office Before Army Heads and
Many Friends Today.

-
Col. Hanford MacNider of Iowa, for
mer national commander of the Amer
lean Legion, is understood to be Presi-
dent Coolidge's choice for Assistant
Secretary of War to succeed Dwight
F. Davis, who has been elevated to
succeed John w. Weeks as Secretary.
Mr. Davis was sworn in today.
This is the opinion Of associates
OF the President. who, while discuss
ing the subject today said they look
for no delay in filling this vacancy.
They explain that the President has
given the question considerable
thought, inasmuch as he made up
his mind several weeks. ago to pro-
mote Mr.. Davis. and that since then
his only concern has been to decide
on a successor to him.
1t is known that the White House
has been in touch with Col. MacNider
within the past few days. and that he
is expected to present himself at the
White House within the next day or
80. Some who are in a position to
speak authoritatively feel certain that
the President Will announce Secre-
tary Davis successor by Saturday.
possibly sooner. The President Is
known to have a high regard for Col.
MacNtder, and is convinced from his
record while at the head of the Ameri
can Legion that he possesses the
training and ability admirably to fill
the Office of assistant head of the
War Department.
Choice Would Be Popular.
1t is pointed out by friends of the
President that Mr.. MacNider would
not only prove splendid acquisition
to the administration because Of his
peculiar fitness. but they say there IS
no doubling the popular effect such
an appointment would have generally
throughout the country. Besides his
brilliant and enviable war record, Col.
MacNider was more than ordinarily
active and conspicuous while COM
nlander of the legion.
That was during the younger days of
the Legion and during a period when
the National Government and the
country at large was struggling to
recover from the World War, and to
enter upon a sound program Of recon
struction. He made innumerable
speeches through the country, not
but in the interest Of the Nation in
general. He forcibly urged stabiliza-
ton and normalcy and the building-up
of industry.
Mentioned for p. o. Post.
The fact that President Coolidge is
known to have seriously considered ap-
pointing Col. McNider Second Assist
ant Postmaster General to succeed
Paul Henderson when the latter re-
signed last Summer is taken by many
as strong evidence of the Presidents
favorable opinion of the former Le-
gion head, and suggested that Mr..
Coolidge has had his eye on him for
some time as a possible addition to
his official family.
The opinion was expressed in some
quarters today that there Is a posi-
bility of Col. MacNider not accepting
the assistant secretaryship. However,
this is taken as being only an opinion
Of those who are inclined to think that
Col. MacNider's aspirations go much
higher than an assistant secretary
ship.
There is no doubt that the appoint
ment would be pleasing to the Re-
publicans of the Midwest and init
mates of the President feel certain 1t
would further strengthen the Presi.
dent with the American Legion.
Col. MacNider's name was promi-
nently mentioned IN 1924 as a running
mate for President Coolidge on the
actually placed in nomination for the
vice presidency. Besides this compli-
ment, friends of Col. MacNider at
tempted to obtain his consent to op.
pose Senator Brookhart last No
vember.
Col. MacNider is a native of Mason
City. Iowa, and is only 81 years old.
He has been successful as a banker
and as a business man. He was grad
uated from Harvard, and saw military
service on the Mexican border in
1916 before entering the Army in the
World War. He resigned from the
Army In 1919 with the rank of lieu.
tenant colonel, and afterward re-
ceived the distinguished service cross.
While discussing this probable ap-
pointment at the White House to-
day the associates of the President
said that very few names have been
presented to the President for consid-
GRAFTON in connection with the ap-
of War. This is explained by the
fact that 1t was not known that
Dwight Davis was to be appointed to
succeed Secretary Weeks, but now
that the other appointment has been
made public it is expected that there
will be a number of names suggested
between now and the time the Presi.
dent fills the vacancy.
Davis Takes Oath.
Col. Davis formally assumed the du-
ties Of Secretary of War at 10 o'clock
this morning in succession to Secre-
tary Weeks of Massachusetts,, who
resigned on account of ill health. Chief
Justice Taft of the Supreme Court,
former President of the United States.
Continued on Page 2, Column 81