Evening star., 1925-10-05
Coolidge Declared Likely to
Wait Months Before Max
ing Appointment.
NOMINATION OF HANEY
BELIEVED IMPROBABLE
President Expected to Submit Some
Other Name to Senate, Replac-
ing Defiant Member.

Although President Coolidge lost no
time accepting the resignation OF
Frederick l.. Thompson as a member
Of the United States Shipping Board.
who ! as been one of the opponents
of Ad Iliral Palmer, president Of the
Emera ency Fleet Corporation, 1t is
thought he is going to be in no hurry
TO appoint successor, II he appoints
one at all.
This is the opinion today OF in
Inmates Of the President who are
familiar with his attitude toward the
/! Shipping Board because of it's long
standing controversy with Admiral
Palmer in his operation of the mer-
chant marine and the sale of Govern
ment-owned ships. Aside from his
personal feelings as a result Of the
manner in which the majority of the
members of the board have openly
detied him and have refused to CO.
operate with the administration mer-
chant marine policies, President
Coolidge is known to believe that the
functions of the board, as now
prescribed by law, are contrary to the
basic principles of government.
President Coolidge has made no Sc.
cret of his desire for legislation
which will either abolish the board or
else relieve it of all its present func-
tions except those which are Of d
semi-judicial and regulatory nature.
Those who are close to the President
feel that he will wait and see what
Congress intends to do before he gives
any thought to the appointment OF a
successor to Mr.. Thompson. There
are those who believe that the Presi-
dent would be inconsistent II he at
tempted to fill this vacancy while he
is at the same time giving his sup
port to a movement to leglslate the
Shipping Board into oblivion.
Haney's Nomination Uncertain.
The President has been outspoken
in his opposition to giving admins
trative and executive authority 10 a
body which he contends should func-
ton only in a semi-judicial capacity.
Moreover, he has on more than one
occasion expressed himself to the ef-
feet that the merchant marine should
be operated by one head and not by
a board Of seven members, and that
those in charge OF the operation OF
the fleet should come under the Exc
cutive and should not function as an
independent agency answerable to no
one.
Mr. Thompson is serving on the
DOdFQ Dv reason VI d IeSeSS dppoiHt-
ment made by President Coolidge
after Congress adjourned last March,
and it has been supposed gen.
orally that when the time came
for the President to send this
nomination to the Senate for
confirmation he would have declined
to do 50. The same is true in the
case of Burt E. Haney Of Oregon.
who received a recess appointment
loo nd -ho ho
; ly defied the President by refusing to
resign from the board following the
formers request. Both Mr.. Haney
and MIR. Thompson are Democrats
and, according to advices received by
the President. have been the leaders
in the boards controversy with Ad-
miral Palmer and its failure to CO.
operate with the administration.
While the President could cast
caused by Mr.. Thompson's resigna-
tion and in entire accord and SYM
pathy with President Coolidge's rner-
chant marine policies, and by substi
tuting some one of the same type for
Mr.. Haney when the time comes to
send his name to the Senate for con-
firmation and thereby assume vot-
ing control of the board this does
not appear to be Mr.. Coolidges in
tention.
RE does not think the activities OF
the board will be greatly disturbed or
harmed If these two positions remain
vacant for any length of time Be
sides, the President is known to be
! more concerned about obtaining legis-
lation to correct what has been de.
scribed in official circles as this evil
in governmental organiza tion." Neither
is the President understood to be con-
MI fof
made by Mr.. Thompson in his letter
of resignation to the effect that he in
tendsc to join with others in fighting
the proposed change in the Shipping
Boards functions.
Resignation Declared Pleasing.
One associate of President Coolidge
said today, while discussing the Thomp-
son resignation. that he had reason to
| feel that the President was pleased
that Mr.. Thompson saw fit to leave
the board.
This official explained that Mr.
Thompson has not only been one of
the leaders in the controversy with
Admiral Palmer, but that during the
present period when this row has
reached what has been described as
! crisis" he has permitted articles
criticizing President Coolidge and his
merchant marine policies to appear in
the newspaper he publishes in Ala
| bama.
| Should the President fill the Thoc,p-
son vacancy and substitute name
/ for that of Mr.. Haney it will be neces
sary for him to select a Democrat in
each case. 1t also will be necessary to
select one from the Gulf States sec
ton and one from the North Pacific
section These requirements are made