Evening star., 1925-08-13
MYSTERY IS SEEN
IN CASE OF WEEKS
Resignation Not Surprise,
But Announcement at This
Time Unforeseen.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

SWANPSCOTT. Mass, August IA
There Is something not apparent on
the surface with respect TO the ress-
nation Of John W. Weeks as Secretary
Of War. The mystery Is NOT that Mr..
Weeks Is resignins. but that an
nouncement Of his plans should he
made st this time
The President for several months
has known of Mr.. Weeks desire to
retire. His resignation was in the
hands Of the President before inau-
Kuration day. Mr.. Weeks told Mr..
Coolidge he was tired OF public service.
and wanted 10 take long rest travel
ing around the world The President
asked the Secretary when he wanted
to start and he said about Midsummer.
But he would be glad TO have his term
of service end at the Presidents con
venience. Then Mr.. Weeks became i'll,
and nothing has been said about re
signing, though IL was plain his hea nh
would make it unwise for him 10 re-
turn to work Secretary OF War.
Coolidge Kept Silent.
To all inquiries sbout Mr. Weeks
proba BILE retirement from the war
portfolio the White House insisted
that nothing definite had been deter
mined. II has been suggested thsr
MIR. Coolidge purposelv refrained
from discussing Mr. Weeks resicna-
ton while he was seriously I'll. hop
ing that he would recover sufficiently
to present his resignation later on
and turn overt duties OF his Office
to a successor.
There is another possible expls ma
ND iG ha
that begins TO be exerted whenever
resigns ton is announced. So long
as 1t is mere rumor the candidates
and their friends feel certa in
delicacy about approaching the
President and he thus is spared n
good deal of bother. II is supposed
MIR. Coolidge had his own reasons for
holding back the wave of applications
which now has begun with the pub
lished reports quoting Mr.. Weeks
himself as intending 10 resign.
News Name Mentioned.
All sorts Of transfers inside the cab
met are being suggested. One is that
Postm9s ster General New be given the
war portfolio and that Assistant Post
master General Bartlett OF New
Hampshire he promoted to the head of
the Post once Department. Another
Is thRt senator Butler OF MaSss Gnu
setts might be given the portfolio Of
Postmaster General. but this is highly
improba bic. as he is making plans 10
run the congressional campaign. and
he is admittedly the strongest candi-
date whom the Republicans could put
into the field In Massachusetts, partic-
ularly because of his intimacy with
President Coolidge. The senatorial
battle or next Autumn will be wased
entirely on the question of supporting
Coolidge, and this in Massachusetts is
just now a strong card. though former
Senator David Walsh Democrat is 2
remarkable campaigner and will give
Mr.. Butler q close race
Should the latter he defeated. Mr.
Coolidge might wish TO have him In
his cabinet, but this In more than a
year way. and the chances are this
contingency is not being weighed At
all at this time by the President.
Assistant Secretary Dwight F.
Davis has really been acting as Secre-
tsry OF War for several months. and
Mr.. Coolidge has high opinion Of his
ability. Mr.. Davis came from Mis-
aouri, which is one OF the States where
the Republican party has twice heen
victorious-in 1920 and 1eet-snd II
would not displease Western Republi-
cans il Mr.. Coolidge sought Secre-
tary Of War from somewhere west Of
the AlleRhenies. so as to offset to
some extent the criticism that the
Coolidge administration is dominated
too much by New Engla nd. which is
sure Republican territory anyhow.
tCopyright I925b