Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-07-13
APPOINTMENT suRpprSE

APPOINTMENT SURPRISE,
1t was generally assumed in the
event the republican party won the
national elections of 1921 that John
w. Weeks would be a member of Pres
ident Harding's cabinet. His selection
Tor secretary of the navy or secretary
| OF the treasury was regarded as GER
tain. His success as financfer was
recognized His graduation at Annap-
oils and experienced in naval affairs
had been recorded as fitting him for
the navy secretaryship.
| A big surprise came, however, when
President Harding announced he
would appoint Weeks as secretary Of
war;
| rich life experience in the go years
preceding the appointment was found
to have equipped Weeks for that duty
also, and he soon was recognized as a
fortunate selection" for tEae army
then facing the post war problems of
reorganization and reductionl to a
peace-tim basis.
! 1t was said of him that he/"slid into
his job the easiest of any of the other
|
| glomerate details of army administra-
tion with a thoroughness and quick
ness spelled confidence throughout the
war department for the staff officers
and hundreds of subordinate chiefs
| Those who sought light on the meth
DDS used by the new, secretary soon
found it. They had only to review the
many-sided life of the man, which
showed at a glance that he had lived
among live things, had learned to know
lthem and incidentally had come to
, know himself
Born ON Farm.
From the time he was born on the
little New Hampshire farm near Lam
caster, April II, 1860, he kept in each
tage of life an ever present human
Viewpoint
Until he was II he was doing chores
on the farm, and taking a friendly in
terest in the horses and other living
things about the barn yard. His grad
uation at the cross roads school and
local high school placed him soon aft
erwards in the school master's chair
also at country cross roads in his
native state. He continued studying
and learned one think well--that a
little knowledge was not enough
| The then young school master sue
ceeded at the age of IS in getting an
appointment to the naval academy at
, Annapolis, where he was graduated
four years later midshipman. But
! two more years sufficed to kill what
ambition then remained in the mind of
Midshipman Weeks for a permanent
post in the navy. He and a number of
his classmates resigned. The reason
| was two-fold. He failed personally to
enthuse over the service as a lifes
work and congress failed to appro-
pirate funds for new ships at a time
when there was lack of vessels and a
consequent surplus of officers.
| Incidents followed rapidly in the life
of Weeks after his resignation from
the navy. Though he continued inter-
est in that arm of the nations defense,
i serving as a volunteer during the
| Spanish American war. land later ac-
! cepting a reserve commission as rear
admiral, he turned away searching for
new fields and a livelihood.
Railroad Executive.
| In 1885, Weeks married Miss Martha
| Sinclair and journeyed south as a sur
iveyor and land commissioner for the
Florida Southern railroad. Three years
later, he returned to New England,
| joining partnerships in what grew to
be the thriving firm of Hornblower &
| Weeks, bankers, of Boston, Mass. One
of the biggest financial establishments
/ in that part of the country thus was
said to owe it's success in large meas
ure to the genius of this then young
man not long away from the farm.
] Busy as was his career as banker,
| Weeks found time for public service
He contributed to the development of
the Bay state naval brigade and later
commanded a brigade in the rank Of
| captain. His service during the war
with Spain were recognized by per-
sonal commentator from the chief of
the auxiliary service-a regular navy
lofficer.
! In 1900, Captain Weeks began to at
| tract, attention in New England politi-
| cal affairs and in prominent ranks of
| the republican party. A resident of
Newton, Mass, at that time, he held
many city offices and, in 1902, was
elected Mayor of Newton. Rapid strides
followed He went to congress in 1905.
Courageous, able and friendly to the
leaders both of the republican and
democratic parties, Congressman Weeks
endeared himself to his colleagues in
the house, impressng them by his OBJ
vious sincerity and competency. He
| took an important part in shaping the
/ Aldrich- Vreeland currency law as a
member of the banking and currency
committee and was Influential in OBJ
tanning it's passage. President Wilson
! found h4s advice valuable and often
called him to the White House for con-