The Washington times., 1929-01-26
MADE WAY
ONCE FOR
H|SCHIJ|V,
WILBUR
By GEORGE r. HOLMES

BY GEUhUE hs nWLME5
MIAMI BEACH. Fla, Jan. Is.
q.N.Sl.--The drive Of the new Re.
publican South for place In the
Hoover cabinet IS daily assuming
larger proportions. M
While Hoover pufsnes the SUI
fish and tarpon in Fforida's eeik
brated keys, there is gathering on
Miami Beach a formidable array q
Southern Republicans awaiting his
return Their numbers increase dails
lin proposition to their determine
tion that cabinet recognition must
be given the fact that four states
of the erstWhile solid.South became
converted to Republicans last No
venber.
Cramer Wen Backed
THE spearhead OF this drive
stuart ". C.ramer. wealthy Norris
Carolina nianufacturer and the %
post OF II b to make hin secreta
Of the Navy He has ii1e hackinE d
most or the new Republican leaders
Eof the South VINO were active ~
the Hoover campaign No ctEief
Southern Republican has such
united backing. nor Is there anottie1
south Of the Mason-Dfxon line
apparently has the claim possessed
by the North Carolinan.
For Cramer to become Secretary
of the Navy, however. pre- supposss {
the elimination OF the present head
Of the Navy, Curtis D. Wilbnr, who
came into the Coolidge Cabinet
largely upon the recommendation
OF Hoover. Thus tar, Secretary
Wilbur has not indicated that he
wished to give up Washington life.
Secretary Wilbur's friends con
tend that IL he was eminent enough
10 command Hoover's Endorsement
for the Coolidge Cabinet, he now is
eminent enough to stay in Hoover's
own Cabinet.
The situation is further compli
Gated BY the fact that Wilbur ard
1ramer have been lifelong friends
They were classmates and room
| mates at the Naval Academy, grad
uating IN the class Of SIS.
They resigned from the Navy on
| the same day and entered business
| Wilbur going TO law and crauler
to the manufacturing business. WI.
bur became chief justice OF the Cali
fornia supreme court: Cramer be.
came the leading cotton mill owner
and operator In the South.
In this connection, an interesting
story is told OF how they almost
became Cabinet colleagues in tho
Coolidge Administration The Nd
thenticity Of the story is well 81
tahlished.
The story goes that after Edwin
DENLY had resigned as Secretary
Of the Navy, because OF the oil
scandals, President Coolidge had
reason to anticipate the similar
resignation Of Harry S. Daugherts
as Attorney General 1t was MS
Intention TO bring Wilbur into his
administration as Attorney General.
ana Grancr as Secretary OF file
Navy. Both were summoned 10
washington. The hitch arose when
Daugherty did not resign. and II
to ask for his resignation.
Cranler Generous
President Coolidge the story
goes, called both men to his office
explained the situation TO them
and observed that whereas he had
expected to have two posts he had
only one, the Navy.
In that case. Mr.. President
Cramer is reported to have said.
there Is only one candidate. my
friend, Judge Wilbur
Wilbur received the appointment
ara Cranier returned to North Caro-
lima 70 continue his mantifacturine
activities, but not until he had spent
month with his old.time friend ana
0urik-1nate, helping him get HIS de.
Dartmental administration organized
and under way.
Now the sponsors Of Cramer for !
post n the Hoover Cabinet are con.
tending that It is up to Secretary
Wilbur to return the act Of SELF ab
negaxion, retire voluntarily. and
await the next vacancy on the bench
O the supreme Court OF the United
States.
PerpIexing for Hoover
This II only one Of the many per-
picking patronage problems that Mr.
Hoover IL trying tO thresh out 81.
tween fishing trips through the
Florida keys.
The southern clans have gathered
at Miami Beach Ia numbers and IN
earnest.
A mile away from Belle Isle,
where the President has sat
up pFe-lnaQeufai headQuaftefS, there
has been established in a hotel what
amounts virtually to southern pa
tronage headquarters. Presiding
over IL is Col. Horace A. Mann, of
Tennessee and Washington, who was
the so-calied mystery man" Of the
Hoover campaign
Mann organized and directed the
Hoover campaign in every southern
State save Virginia. Whether due
to his efforts or not. North carolitas
Texas, Tennessee and Florida, be.
sides Virginia, did cast their elee
toral votes for Hoover.
All day long the Representatives OF
the New" as well as sonae from tie
"Old' South pass In and out OF Colo
mel Mann's headquarters. a regulav
office has been set UP. In q nearby
hotel, too. is Or. Hubert Work chair.
man OF the Republican National Com
nittee. who frequently consults Coio
mel Mann. Nr
The admitted objective OF all thlsT
activity is not only to put Crsnler
in the cabinet. but also to see to II
that the new Republican organizas
tions of tbs South get their political
reward nf lesser offices.