The Washington times., 1937-10-28
Paul MallOn---
NeWS Behind
The NeUS

4 uE NELUS
CERTAIN Cabinet seats have
~ become uneasy. Word is
sitting through the official fam.
lily that a shift is due when the
Presidents reorganization bill
gets through Congress.
Names being mentioned most
frequently are those of Cum
mings, Perkins and Roper. The
Cabinet circle has an idea the
outcome of the Supreme Court
campaign may eventually make
the retirement of Attorney Gen.
eral Cummings mutually agree
able.
Labor Secretary Perkins may
want to get into the education
or social field again. The old
rumor about Commerce Secre-
tary Roper's possible transfer to
the Post Office when General
Farley goes, and the one about
his possible departure from the
Commerce Department in any
event, is as good now as it ever
was.
Everyone knows General Far.
ley is going. Nearly everyone
assumes Interior Secretary
Ickes will be transferred to the
new public works post to be
created in the cabinet. Gnci.
dentally it is also generally as
sumed the second Cabinet seat
for the head of a Department of
Public Welfare will not be grant
ed by CongressO
Thus two jobs are almost GER
tain to be open soon. The occa-
sion will be favorable for the
creation of a wholly new Cabi-
net set-up.
The matter has advanced to
the point where the boys are eye
ing the boss apprehensively.
- II
MINOR official indignation is
AVA supposed to be Surging
around the new musical play,
I'D Rather Be Right" because
it makes fun of the President
by name and all else that is
Washington. New Dealers have
been slipping over to Baltimore
this week to see it.
The play is a rather good
natured lyrical burlesque (not a
real satire) of Mr.. Roosevelt's
official and private family and
the Supreme Court. Its barbs
are unrestrained as far as the
official family is concerned, but
light on the private-family
phase. CThe Presidents mother
is the only member of the family
presented in the cast.)
In Gilbert and Sullivan style,
but without their ability, the
authors rely more on George
Cohan for their show than on
their book or lyrics.
Cohan's truly great stage
heart and personality are what
will probably make it a success,
although, of course, primarily
it relies on the audacity of hav-
ing a song-and-dance man play
Mr.. Roosevelt to attract atten-
ton.
Many officials deplore the
tendency to hold the White
House up to ridicule, but it was
only a few years ago they
thought a similar play by the
same authors, ridiculing the
Supreme Court was very, very
funny.
Officialdom does not like it.
but may accept it as a sign Of
the times.
TODAY'S 1910 possibility
l. Gov. George Earle Of Penn
sylvania, age 46, an orthodox
New Dealer, a Harvard man;
good business experience, al
though he does not mention
much of it in his Who's Who
biography president and vice
president of sugar mills, director
of a bank and of a large chain
of nickel.in-a-slot automatic
lunchrooms); commanded a sub
chaser and won a Navy cross in
the war; ambassador to Austria
1888; has been a labor COVER
nor; flies his own airplane;
political protege of Senator-Boss
Guffey of Pennsylvania, who
would be his General Farley.
Astute Democratic poiticoS
size him thus:
Good personal campaigner in
vets meetings and hotel lob