Evening star., 1938-12-23
Hopkins Is Given Roper's Post;
Col. Harrington to HeodW. A.
And Williams Goes to N. Y. A.
Opposition RumbIings
ToFormer Relief Chief
Heard at Capitol
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
President Roosevelt tomorrow will
place Harry l.. Hopkins, w. P. A
administrator, in his cabinet as Sec
retary of Commerce, succeeding
Daniel c. Roper
At the same time the President
will designate" Col. F. c. Harring-
ton, U. S. A., to replace Mr.. Hopkins
as head Of the Works Progress Ad-
ministration. Col Harrington has
been chief engineer of the w. P. A
Aubrey Williams, deputy admin
istrator of w. p A., will be ap.
pointed administrator of the Ma
tional Youth Administration, o1
which he is now executive director.
The N. Y. A. has been an adjunct
of the w. p A. 1t was reported that
Mr.. Williams may withdraw as
deputy administrator of the w. P. "A
Announcement of the changes
was made at the White House today
by Stephen Early. secretary to the
President. in charge of press rela-
tions. He said Mr.. Hopkins would
be sworn in in the Presidents White
. House study tomorrow on the recess
appointment"
At one and the same time, the
President thus transfers to his cab
met close personal friend and ad-
wiser, Mr. Hopkins, and changes the
w. P. A: set-up, which has been
under serious attack, charged with
political activity and waste.
Immediately on Capitol Hill there
were rumblings of opposition to the
confirmation of Mr.. Hopkins ap-
pointment to be Secretary OF Com
merce.
How severe the fight against him
will be depends, it was said, on what
is brought out in expected hearings
Before the Senate Commerce Com
mittee and in the Senate debate
on the nomination
Defeat by the Senate of appointees
to cabinet Office has been extremely
rare. The only recent defeat was
that of Charles Beecher Warren OF
Michigan, who was appointed At
torney General by the late President
Coolidge. The Senate divided even
" on the vote for confirmation. The
then Vice President Dawes was
asleep at his hotel and did not reach
the Senate until too late for him to
break the tie and bring about con-
flrmation of Mr.. Warren.
Roper Leaves Tonight.
Secretary Roper's resignation as
head of the Commerce Department
was announced last week and takes
effect tonight. Mr.. Roper, who has
held Office ever since President
Roosevelt entered the White House,
has been regarded as "conserva-
tive" and has been under fire from
some of the New Deal inner circle
for some time.
Senator Burke, Democrat, of Ne
braska, who has fought the admin
istration on several important
measures, including the court bill,
said today he did not believe there
would be much of fight against
Mr.. Hopkins nomination.
"It is generally recognized that a
President has the right to select
members of his immediate official
family as he sees fit" the Senator
said. Il believe that wiser selec-
ton for Secretary of Commerce
could have been made at this time
I do not know anything about the
qualifications of Mr.. Hopkins to head
this department.
"Of one thing, 1 am very glad the
selection by the President of Col
Harrington to head the w. P. A.
He is the right man for the place.
All we can do now is to carry on
with this relief organization and
make plans for different and better
system in the future.
Aubrey Williams has been doing
A good job with the National Youth
Administration. 1 would not have
supported him, however. for ap-
pointment as head of the w. P. A."
Vandenberg is Satisfied.
Senator Vandenberg, Republican,
Of Michigan, commented:
Il fully recognize that the Presi-
dent is entitled to have an official
family and the tools to work with
that he likes. Barring formidable
reason against confirmation, would
be inclined to vote for Mr.. Hopkins.
IF. however, the vote in the Sem
ate should take the form of vote
of confidence in the administration
Of w. P. A. by Mr. Hopkins. after
debate in the Senate and hearings
before the Commerce Committee,
then would not vote for him."
The attitude Of other opponents of
the appointment was that no fight
against confirmation should be made
merely because MI. Hopkins is a
New Dealer. However, if. for exam
pie, the Sheppard Committee on
Campaign Expenditures should sub
NIT a report to the Senate rejecting
on the administration of the W. n A.
by Mr.. Hopkins, the situation would
be free of dynamite.
The Sheppard Committee will, it
is understood, make it's report imme-
diately after Congress opens. Sem
ator Sheppard, Democrat, of Texas
and other members of the commit
tee have in the past severely criti-
cized political activity on the part
of w. p. A. members.
The removal of Mr.. Hopkins from
head Of that organization and the
failure to place Mr.. Williams at its
head, 1t was said in some quarters,
might have the effect of leaving
the opponents of w. P. A. without
q target.
Particular attention was called at
the White House to the fact that Col.
Harrington was "designated"-no
appointed-to be head of the w. P.
A. Col. Harrington is an officer of
(see APPOINTMENTS, Page ABB
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