Evening star., 1938-12-17

Of President Roosevelt ever since he
first entered the race for the presi-
dental nomination. Both worked
hard for him before and during the
Democratic National Convention in
Chicago in 1882. They are both re-
firing now from the cabinet, it Is
explained, to give attention to their
personal affairs The President has
accepted their designations with ex-
pressions of great friendliness and
regret at their going.
And yet there has been a desire
expressed In certain New Deal circles
that places be made in the cabinet
for younger men, men greatly i'm
bued with the spirit of the New
Deal. Mr.. Cummings is in his 69th
year and Mr.. Roper in his 72d.
Both, however, have every appear
ance Of being in the prime of life
well able to care for their appointed
tasks.
Mr.. Cummings was a great de-
fender, If not instigator. of the
Presidents bill to revamp the Su-
preme Court. Mr.. Roper, an old
fashioned Democrat from South
Carolina, has gone right along with
the New Deal administration. At
the same time, however, his philos-
ophy has been to advance business
and industry, to bring greater re-
covery. 1t is no secret that he has
not seen eye to eye with those New
Deal officials who have cracked
down on business at every oppor-
tunity. The thunderous attacks de-
livered by Secretary Ickes of the In
terror Department and Robert H.
Jackson, now solicitor general, were
entirely out OF line with Mr.. Roper's
attitude.
Three Cabinet Possibilities.
The President has not yet made
known his choices for Attorney
General and Secretary of Com
merce. Nor for the present vacancy
in the Supreme Court. caused by
the death of Associate Justice Car
dozo. There are three New Dealers
for whom the President has particu-
lar regard. Solicitor General Jack
son is one, another is Gov. Frank
Murphy Of Michigan-now a lame
duck" due to the Republican vic
tory in his State-and the third Is
Harry L. Hopkins, w. P. A. admin
istrator. It would not be strange
to find that these three important
posts, now vacant or soon to be va
cant, would be filled by these three
men.
Both Jackson and Hopkins have
been advanced as presidential pos
sibilities in 1940-but neither Of
them has taken hold of the public
Imagination. Leaders of the Demo-
cratic organization, national and
New York State, speak Of them as
"impossibilities." More recently 1t
is Hopkins who has been prominent
ly mentioned as a successor to the
President-and it has been suggest
ed that the President would place
him in the Cabinet in order to give
him "build-up" for the 1910 nomi-
nation.
It looks as though the President
was going ahead with plans to con-
solidate everything for New Deal
push in 1910. More conservative, old
style Democrats are moving out Of
oflce, while Secretary Ickes, who
demands again and again that Mr..
Roosevelt be a candidate for third
term, is retained in the Cabinet.
persuaded by the President not to
run for Mayor of Chicago. If the
President advances Mr.. Hopkins to
the post Of Secretary Of Commerce,
he can name Aubrey Williams, an
other intense New Dealer who be-
lieves that people engaged in grant,
ing relief as we'll as the reliefers are
entitled to play politics, to head the
w. p. A. or any other relief agency
that may be developed.
Fight Likely Over Hopkins.
Usually appointments to the Cabi-
net are confirmed by the Senate as
q matter Of course. A President,
the theory is, is entitled to select
the members Of his official family
without outside interference. On
that theory, Hopkins appointment
to head the Department of Com
merce, If it comes, might be expect
ed to be confirmed. But obviously
it will not be confirmed without a
fight.
The administration of the w.
p. A., both from the point OF ex-
travagance and from that of politi-
cal activity, has been under fire.
Democratic Senators OF the more
conservative hue, and particularly
those whom the President and Mr..
Hopkins sought to purge" in re-
cent primaries, are likely to have a
good deal to say. Senator Rush D.
Holt of West Virginia already has
sounded off on the subject OF Mr..
Hopkins, declaring that his appoint
ment to the Cabinet would be a
move to save Hopkins from a Con-
gressional investigation because of
his handling Of the w. P. A.
Once during the Coolidge admins
tration, the Senate refused to con-
firm a cabinet appointment. It
turned down the nomination Of
Charles B. Warren of Michigan to
be Attorney General by tie vote,
while Vice President Charles G..
Dawes was mapping at his hotel.
Whether the overwhelmingly Demo-
cratic Senate of today would actually
turn down the nomination of Mr..
Hopkins Is doubtful, to say the least.
But it is easy to imagine large bloc
Of Democratic and Republican Sena-
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