Evening star., 1932-08-12

RESIGNATION of Robert P. Lamont as
Secretary of Commerce and appoint
ment Of Roy D. Chaplin as his successor
remind the public of the prodigious task
faced by the chief of this Government
agency in time of depression. Both
men are praised for their qualities as
leaders, and each is seen to have an
important place in the business recovery
that is expected. Mr.. Chapin's place as
a representative of the automobile in
dustry Is believed to fit him for the
new Government duties.
Secretary Lamont" says the Lex
ington Leader, after rendering the
most important service in his position
at great financial sacrifice, has found 1t
necessary to return to private life IN
order to care for various important
business interests" The Charlotte OBJ
server states that the President gave
Mr.. Lamont a merited degree Of praise
for service of a sacriflcial Sort" and
that Mr. Chaplin "is man OF big bust
ness and has record as an executive oil
marked abilities"
Mr.. Lamont's service as former head
Of American Steel Foundries is recalled
by the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin,
with the estimate that he was rec
ognized leader in the industry" and
that "as head of the institute he may
perform as genuinely public service as
he was rendering in the chair Of the De-
partment of Commerce" The Bulletin
also comments: This association with
Federal Government in its intimate cir
Gle has given him further equipment
in a clear understanding of the attitude
and relationship of Government and
law to big business, which should be
of particular value at this time. There
is need of industrial concert in work
ing out the solution of serious prob
lens. Even under the Sherman law,
the Iron and Steel Institute has a
legitimate field and function and may
render important service"
"Mr Lamont. carrying the load OF the
department through the most trying pc
riod it has experienced" according 10
the Chicago Daily News, "bore the bur-
den in a manner that won the approval
of the President and the country. He
battled diligently to hold the front for
Americas foreign and domestic trade
and assumed new duties of an exigent
nature arising out of the economic situ-
alton. All of these he discharged with
diligent fidelity" The Oakland Tribune
remarks that Secretary Lamont retireS
after seeing through the more unpleas-
ant months and in the knowledge his
successor will find things easier"
THAT Secretary Lamont has had
enough" comments the Springfield Re-
publican, lone may reasonably infer;
his resignation, however, should not be
ascribed to personal failure. The fateS
and the depression were against him If
he entered Office hoping to see our COM
merce establish new records for mag
nitude. Possibly he had become pessi-
mistic. In that case, his successor is
the right sort. For Mr.. Chaplin OF De-
troit regards the depression as breath
ing SPELL furnHhing us all the oppor-
tunity to stop and think over why we
are here and where we are going How
can such a man fail?"
1T could hardly haYe, beep a pleas
ant or restful experience for Secretary
Lamont, and the country owes him a
vote of thanks" declares the Jersey
City journal, while the Buffalo Eve
ming News suggests that the event
should remind the people that they
receive, as a matter Of public spirit, a
great deal of service from Government
officials of type whom they never
could afford to hire"
1.-The naming of Mr.. Lamont as vir-
tual 'dictath' n of the steel industry and
the formak2 Of powerful wheat and
cotton pool" as viewed by the Hart