The Washington times., 1929-02-25
CABINET
JOBS PLAGUE
HOOVER
By GEORGE p. HOLMES
International News Service

A week from today Herbert
Hoover will be inaugurated. His
Cabinet still is incomplete. His in.
augural address still is unfinished.
Ahead of him are seven strenuous
days-days in which final decisions
must be made.
As matters stand today, political
Washington, with both ears glued
to the ground to catch every pass
ing Cabinet rumble, feels positively
certain about only three of the ten
cabinet positions. These are:
Secretary of State-Henry L.
Stimson, of New York.
Secretary of the Treasury-An-
drew w. Mellon. of Pennsylvania
Secretary of the Interior-Ray
Lyman Wilbur, of California,
Balance Uncertain
As for the rest there are rumors,
reports, tips, indications, and even
reasonable probabilities" but when
all of them are boiled down the
residue Is uncertainty.
There are enough names on
Hoover's desk in his S Street home
to fill three Cabinets. These have
been weeded out of an earlier list
that contained enough names to fill
ten. The names are still being
juggled today, a week in advance
of the big announcement. 1t is
not at all improbable that final
decisions in some cases will be left
until the last of the week.
Present indications-and they are
only interchangeable to the fol-
lowing as reasonable possibilities:
Possible Lineup
Postmaster General-Walter F.
Brown, of Ohio.
Secretary of Labor-Willia1 N.
Doak, of Virginia
Secretary of the Navy-Charles
Francis Adams, of. Massachusetts.
Secretary of War-William J,
Donovan. Of New York.
Secretary of Commerce-Julius
Klein. of Massachusetts, and Cali
fornia.
This leaves two posts unaccountsd
for-the Attorney Generalship and
the Secretaryship of Agriculture,
both of which are extremely i'm
portant in the Hoover scheme of
things.
For the Attorney Generalship,
Hoover is seeking a constitutional
dry of such outstanding reputation
and legal ability that there can be
no accusation of Iaxity in his eff.
forts to really enforce the Eight.
zenith Amendment and the Volstead
law. after the function of enforce
rnent has been transferred from the
Treasury to the Department of JUS.
rice.
The President-elect has sought un-
4uccessfully to persuade Justice
harlan Fiske Stone and Senator
William E. Borah of Idaho to- under
AXE the job. Both have declined,
'Sorah because of his reluctance to
give up his independent position in
he Senate; Stone because of his
'nwillingness to leave the bench.
1t was reported today that Hoover
had not yet given up hope of
winning over Justice Stone.
The Attorney Generalship is Civ
ing Hoover more real concern than
any other two posts in his Cabinet,
according to all indications. He
realizes that prohibitions supreme
est is to hand, and that the coun-
rry's judgment as to its feasibility
under existing laws may rest en-
lire upon events of the next four or
light years. He wants at the head
II the enforcement department a
man of such unquestioned ability
md personal dryness that the pro-
hibitionists cannot say that the law
was scuttled by its enemies.
Has Three Prospects
A new name on his list today for
his ost was that of Judge Frank
:. Dietrich, of Idaho, who for more
han 20 years has been dealing ont
Justice in Idaho's only Federal
court. Dietrich is friend OF
Borah's. The latter twice recon-
mended him to President Coolidge
when ne was casting around for an
Attorney General.
Another name, on the list is that
Of Silas Strawn, of Chicago. How
nver, Strawn has for years been
,lnown as one of Chicago's greatest
corporation lawyers. Some opposi.
lion to his appointment might be
from the progressive ele-
ment of the party on that score.
In his dilemma it was suggested
soday that Hoover might yet decide
% swing Henry L. Stimson over
into the Depart .ent of Justice an1
obtain another Secretary of State
another indication of the fluidity of
The whole Cabinet slate.