Evening star., 1945-07-09
Vinson Naming Linked
To Law of Succession
Snyder at First Believed Slated
For Treasury Post, Says
Observer
By David Laurence

~ " A(0bsH LNASg tpbo
No appointment that President Tru-
man has made has caused as much
speculation in the National Capital as
the selection of Fred Vinson, now
Director of Economic Mobilization, TO
be Secretary of the Treasury.
Mr.. Vinson for some time has been
high up in the list being considered
for the Treasury portfolio but so has
the name of John Snyder, now Federal
Loan Administrator. Up TO last Friday
morning, when Mr.. Snyder conferred
with the President, it was widely be-
lieved in Washington that he would
be appointed. Mr.. Snyder is one of the
closest friends of the President in
Washington today.
What caused the change? One re-
port has it that presidential succession
was in some way involved; in fact, it
may have accelerated the resignation
of Secretary Morgenthau.
The truth is that ever since Mr.. Tru-
man took the oath as President, Wash
ington has been buzzing with gossip
as to what might happen If fate sub
tracted him from the office. Would the
next President be Secretary Stettinius?
When James F. Byrnes was appointed
Secretary of State the talk would not
down because the President had already
announced that Mr.. Byrnes would ac-
company him to Europe.
Law of Succession.
If then anything should happen TO
both Mr. Truman and Mr.. Byrnes IN
the still hazardous areas of Germany
where underground" Nazis are by no
means extinct, who would be President?
BY the present succession law, the
| Secretary of Treasury would be next in
line. This has stirred up more dis
cussion on Capitol Hill. Reports are
| current that Mr.. Morgenthau really
didn't intend to resign his post for some
time but when he heard the persistent
rumors about successor he quite prop
erly went to the White House to clear
it up and the upshot was that he
insisted on having his resignation ac-
cepted at once.
All this might have been avoided If
Congress had acted on the amendments
to the presidential succession law now
pending. But for reasons best known
to itself Congress is dilly -dallying with
this subject and the full responsibility
for inaction will be on the Congress if
the Nation is suddenly confronted with
a tragedy and there ensues succession
problem and doubts as to legal rights.
Whether it was to appease Mr.. Nor
! genthaus feelings or for some other un-
disclosed reason, the problem was not
| solved by announcing that Mr.. Vinson
| would not take Office till after President
Trumans return from Europe. Techni-
| cally the situation is worse today than
it ever had bees Mr.. Morgenthau has
resigned but holds office just the same
because no successor has qualified. Some
legal experts think the Secretary Of War,
Henry L. stimson, now is really next in
line.
Left Wing" Happy.
AS for Mr. Vinson, will he be left
or right wing" Secretary of the
Treasury? The left wing" supporters are
| happy. They feel they have won big
victory. They say Mr.. Vinson will use
tax laws for reform purposes even more
than anybody else in the Treasury and
| that he will surround himself with New
Dealers. Persons who know Mr.. Vinson
well and have no ak to grind say that he
will execute Mr.. Trumans policies what
ever they may be-"left" or right
and that he will 60 along with Congress
if there is any determined sentiment
for particular tax-revision proposals
The Treasury portfolio can make or
wreck the Truman administration. Mr..
Morgenthau on the whole has made
creditable record. He has managed to
get along with left" and right wing"
elements. But there remain questions OF
the most critical nature relating to in
fiation and financing of the public debt
1t is time for stabilization rather than
for further experimentation and on how
Mr.. Vinson runs the Treasury may de-
pend the fate of the Truman admins
tration in the 1s4S elections, because the
strength of public confidence in the
Governments handling of financial
problems is intimately related to votes
at the polls
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