Evening star., 1932-11-06
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Tumulty's Tip to Hoover.

Joseph P. Tumulty, who was secre-
tary to President woodrow Wilson
throughout his eight years of executive
service. has an interesting suggestion
to offer, noting the recently expressed
concern of President Hoover as to the
"chaos and uncertainty that will pre-
vail" between November and March
4 if he should not be reelected. Mr..
Tumulty recalls the period OF 1915 Just
preceding election, when Mr.. Wilson,
in a spirit of magnanimity," consid-
cred and determined upon course OF
action if the American electorate should
turn away from his policies and accept
Republican leadership. Mr.. Wilson,
SAYS Mr.. Tumulty, had decided that in
that event he would at once retire
from the presidency and turn over the
administration of the Federal Govern
ment to his successful opponent, Mr.
Hughes. The plan, it appears, was
that he should cause a vacancy IN the
office of Secretary of State, by volun-
tary or required resignation, and Would
appoint Mr.. Hughes to that position
The President would then resign and
the Vice President likewise resigning
the duties of the presidency would de-
yolve upon and be assumed by the Sec
retary of State under the statute OF
succession.
The course to be followed by Mr.
Hoover, if he were to move to adopt
Mr.. Wilson's reported program OF an
immediate transference of authority to
his successful opponent, would be to
replace Mr.. Stimson with Gov. Roose-
yelt as Secretary of State and then
persuade Mr.. Curtis to resign as Vice
President, and then to make history by
rendering his own resignation, the first
on record. Thereupon, Gov. Roosevelt
would. as Secretary of State, become
President.
Many interesting speculations arise
from this suggestion. Suppose MI
Stinson would not willingly sacrlnce
himself to such an act OF political
altruism? 1t would be necessary Tor
Mr.. Hoover to remove him, as Mr.. VIII
son virtually did in the case of Mr..
Lansing when 1t was found tnat theN
minds did not run along together. But
there is no power of removal by the
President in the case Of the Vice Presl-
dent who as potential President gov
erns his own course. 1t is possible tnat
Mr.. Curtis would not yield the vice
Presidency in order that the Demo-
cratic nominee for President should re-
nlace him as immediate successor IN
the executive chair
Then again, would all the other men,
bers of the cabinet follow the example
ot the Secretary of State-Uhether ne
were to resign upon request or be re-
nloyed-and tender their designations 10
the acting President, thus giving nun
opportunity to organize his own CABINET
Immediately? Some of them mlght
sit tight" and defy the lightning Oh
the executive, who would perhaps De
loath to empty all the chairs by dis
nnissals. Cabinet making is the hrst
and the hardest task of the President
elect. and although Gov. Roosevelt may
at this moment have some ideas on the
subject of who will be who in the new
administration over which he hopes 10
preside, he could hardly be expected
to settle upon the personnel OF MS
offlcial family Immediately after election.
Even though Mr.. Hoover may be ap-
prehensive of the "chaos and uncer-
tainty" prevailing between November 9
and March 4, in the event of his defeat,
it is not at all likely that he will pre-
cipitate so unprecedented and strange
a situation as that which Mr.. Iun1uity
suggests in reporting Mr.. Wilson's pro-
posal of 1916.