Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-12-26
Five in Cabinet Face
Roosevelt Reelection
Or Political Oblivion
They of Necessity
Will Go Out When
President Does
~ the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
A group of cabinet officers find
themselves impelled by background
motives to whistle for third term
even if the question of loyalty to
their chief were not involved.
Secretaries Ickes, Wallace, Nor
genthau, Hopkins and Perkins were
all lifted out of non-political set
tings by President Roosevelt and
put into posts of national power.
When he goes, they 60 out Of neces-
sity. None of them has the political
backing needed to push them with
in reach of any important plum
from a new Democratic admins
tration.
This fact might be expected not
only to cause them to root for a
third term, but to predispose them
against any other Democratic can
didate-Vice President Garner. Paul
" McNutt, or any one of the ambi-
tious Senators and Governors.
Secretaries Ickes and Wallace are
recent converts to the Democratic
party; not to the party of Mr.. Gar
ner, Secretary Hull and Postmaster
General Farley, but to the Democ-
racy of the New Deal. However able
they may be, their power in national
affairs undoubtedly would vanish
with the incoming tread of new
administration.
Ickes Former Bull Mo0ser.
Mr.. Ickes was practicing law and
politics in Chicago when Mr.. Roose-
welt found him. He had been Bull
Mooser with Theodore Roosevelt,
then had drifted into the between
party fringe of independents. He
campaigned in several Western
States for Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.
Garner in 1882 When he thought
of political rewards after the cam
paign, he aimed for the post of
Indian commissioner, not for a
cabinet job.
Secretary Wallace. son of the
Republican Secretary of Agricul-
ture under Presidents Harding and
Coolidge, held the same party
allegiance until after the end of Mr..
Roosevelt's first term. Then he
dubbed himself Democrat He was
the editor of farm publication, and
In view of his change of parties his
Democratic support in Iowa might
be regarded as somewhat tenuous.
Neither Miss Perkins, Mr.. Nor
genthau nor Mr. Hopkins came into
the administration because they
were politically minded or had
political backing. All three came
from New York. They had known
Mr. Roosevelt for long time.
Miss Perkins Social Worker.
Miss Perkins was highly trained
social worker. She had battled for
% years to improve living and work.
ing conditions among working people
when she came to Washington Mr.
Roosevelt had made her State in
dustrial commissioner while he was
Governor.
Mr. Morganthau. sent to Texas as
a youth for his health, returned to
New York to farm, and had long
been neighbor and friend of Mr..
Roosevelt when the latter was elected
Governor. Mr. Roosevelt chose Mr..
Morgenthau to head a nonpartisan
farm advisory commission and later
made him State conservation COM
missioner. He worked closely with
the Governors campaign for the
presidency in 1882 and came with
him to Washington, first as chair
man of the Federal Farm Board,
then as governor of the Farm Credit
Administration and, finally. went
into the cabinet when William H.
Woodin retired.
Relief Hopkins Background.
Hopkins background, like that of
Miss Perkins, was relief. He was
brought to Washington to do a re-
lief job, was then pushed into the
limelight as a presidential possible
ity. But his health failed, and he
has been inactive in recent months
as Secretary of Commerce.
These five are in a different posi-
ton from the other members of the
cabinet. Politics, though having
little to do with the selection of any
of Mr.. Roosevelt's cabinet members,
could not have prompted the choice
of this quintet.
OF the others, Postmaster General
Farley speaks for New York Demo-
Gratis as chairman of their State
Committee; Secretary Hull, former
Senator, has the support of Ten
nesseeans; Attorney General Muir
ply, though defeated for reelection
as Governor, has strong support
from Michigan; Secretary Woodring
q former Governor, has the backing
of a large group of Kansas Demo-
cratS