The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-02-14
CABINET GUESSING CONTINUES.

In little more than two weeks, Franklin Delano Roosevelt will be inaugurated President of the United States Except for the "guesses" of newspaper cor respondents which the President Elect recently of fered wager 80 per cent incorrect the country knows no more about the makeup of his Cabinet personnel than it did last November. Just now the favorite pastme of the correspondents attached to Gov Roosevelt, and to the National Capital is pick ing the members of the Presidents official family for the next four years On only two or three are the experts generally agreed. One-Natona Chair man, James A. Farley-has been unanimously ap- pointed Postmaster General. Senator Thomas J. Walsh Montana, is the choice of the majority for Attorney General Norman H. Davis leads the field for Secretary of State. Senator Bronson Cutting and former Governor Dern of Utah most prom inently mentioned for Secretary of the Interior On the remaining posts there is much division of opinion.
 As the New York Times recently pointed out, it is more than mere curiosity which prompts the public to take especially keen interest in reports about the personnel of the new Cabinet" The of ficial announcement cannot be delayed much longer Gov Roosevelt cannot defer many days the choice of the leaders upon whom will largely depend the initial of his administration In normal times it would not be of much if there were than a dash of medocrity about the Cabinet. But under existing conditions at home and abroad in view of the multiplicity of problems domestic and international, with which the Roosevelt Admnis- tration must deal the official family must be com posed of men of the first rank Only that caber will nstin in the country that degree of confidence essential to the Administrations success. Commenting upon this phase of the subject, The Times said:
 MT. Roosevelt must have about him at
 A m IVh np1 oh h1It
 known to the country to be Especially
 will this be true of the Secretary of State
 and the Secretary of Treasury. Both those
 positions are felt by everybody in the present
 posture of affairs, to be key positions"
 When the appointments are made they will
 be regarded as unlocking the new Presidents
 purposes and policies. The announcement
 of his selections for the Treasury and for
 the Department of State may fill the public
 mind with hope and confidence, may stir
 apprehension. Thus the motives of Gov
 ernor Roosevelt must strongly be in favor
 of satisfying the general desire that he
 entrust the conduct of foreign affairs to
 capable hands, and put the public finances
 in charge of one whose reputation will be
 a bulwark to the country against bad
 economics and unsound measures
 It will, of course, be true of MT Roose-
 welt, it has been of all Presidents, that
 he will make or break his Administra-
 tion There are conflicting theories about
 the functions of the Cabinet. Some would
 like to it filled with supermen Others
 contend that it's members should be content
 to be merely clerks of the President. Either
 way, the dominating and decisive personality
 must be that of the Chief Executive. He
 may be helped hndered by one more
 members of the Cabinet but must in all
 important matters retain the direction him.
 self. This was the theory and practice of
 Abraham Lincoln. Often his Secretary,
 John Hay, recorded, the Tycoon he
 named the President, neglected the Cabinet
 did not summon it for weeks, and did every
 thing on his own On occasion he put
 question to vote in the Cabinet All the
 members voted except himself whereupon
 he quietly declared: The ayes have it."
 Such things possible in time of war;
 as President Wilson also showed, though
 not customary in peace But when all is
 said the American people look over the
 heads of the Cabinet to the President him.
 self; and MT. Roosevelt nom-
 mates his Cabinet and perhaps in his
 inaugural address outlines his main policies,
 he will be the observed of all observers for
 the rest of his term, with the responsibility
 for every decision thrust upon him alone.