Evening star., 1938-12-16
Cabinet Changes

President Roosevelt has accepted
the resignation of Secretary Daniel
G. Roper of the Department of Com
merce and at the same time has per-
suaded Secretary Harold L. Ickes of
the Interior Department to remain
at his post. Thereby the President
has lost conservative Democrat-a
Democrat of the old school-and re-
tanned an ardent New Dealer who
proposes that the President shall run
for third term.
1t is perhaps merely colncidental
that Mr.. Roper's resignation and the
determination of MIR. Ickes to remain
in Washington and not seek election
as Mayor Of Chicago should have
been announced within few hours.
The conjuncture Of the two events,
however, has given rise to much
speculation in the National Capital.
The Presidents choice of a success
sor to Mr.. Roper will be considered
particularly significant 1t has been
widely rumored that the President
desired to supplant Mr.. Roper with
Harry L. Hopkins, w. P. A. admin
istrator, close friend and adviser.
Coupled with the rumor of the Pres
ldent's desire to have Mr.. Hopkins in
the cabinet was a report that he de-
sired to have at the head of the De-
partment Of Commerce q man who
saw eye to eye with him on matters
anecting business. 1t is not unrea-
sonable to assume that his choice of
a successor to Mr. Roper will indicate
whether the New Deal will move to
the right or to the left during the
next two years.
Mr.. Roper's retirement removes a
member of the cabinet who has
served efficiently in public life for
twenty-eight years As Mr.. Roper
himself states, this tenure includes
experience under seven different
appointments and connections with
five different departments of the
Government, together with clerk
ships Of important Senate and House
Committees. During the admins
tration of the late President Wood
row Wilson, Mr.. Roper held office
as First Assistant Postmaster Gen.
eral, vice chairman of the Tariff
Commission and Collector of Internal
Revenue. For the last six years he
has been Secretary of Commerce.
Mr.. Roper was a before Chicago"
Roosevelt supporter and aided mate
rally in bringing about the Presi-
dents nomination at the Democratic
National Convention in 1882 His ap-
pointment to be Secretary of Com
merce followed Immediately on the
nrst Inauguration of the President.
AS Secretary of Commerce Mr..
Roper has striven constantly to bring
business and the administration into
closer alignment. His has been the
voice which urged cooperation of
business with the Government when
other high officials have been loud In
their attacks on business. He Gre
ated a Business Advisory Council,
composed of half a hundred promi-
nent business leaders, to make rec
concentrations to the administration.
X the White House turned deaf ear
to these recommendations 1t was not
Mr.. Ropers fault.
Because of his friendliness to busi-
ness and industry, Mr.. Roper has
been subject himself of attacks from
certain New Deal sources in recent
years. Mr.. Roper continued however,
to do his utmost to improve not only
the relations between business and
the administration but also to i'm
prove business and so bring greater
measure of recovery. He retires now
with the knowledge that he sought