Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-14
The Political Mill
New Cabinet Agency
Finds Much Support
Move for Department
Originated With 6. O. P.
By Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
President Eisenhowers first Govern
ment reorganization plan-for the Gre
alton of Department of Health. Edu-
cation and Welfare with Secretary Of
cabinet rank-has met immediate and
favorable response in Congress. Indeed,
instead of waiting for the expiration
OF go days, during which either house
by constitutional majority" vote
could veto a reorganization order, con-
gresslonal leaders are planning to put
through an affirmative resolution, max
ing the plan Immediately effective.
Democrats, as well as Republicans, have
expressed their intention of supporting
the move.
The creation of the new department
puts woman in the cabinet. the first
ever to serve in Republican admin
lstration. Mrs. Oveta Culp Hobby. now
head of the Federal Security Admins
tration which vanishes with the estab-
lishment of the Welfare Department,
will be its first Secretary. She is a
Texas Democrat-the second Democratic
member of the Eisenhower cabinet.
Her advancement to cabinet rank,
therefore, gives recognition to the
women. who trooped to the polls by the
million to vote for Gen. Eisenhower last
November. and at the same time gives
further recognition to the many Demo-
Gratis who voted for Eisenhower rather
than for Adlai Stevenson, the Demo-
cratic candidate for President. Texas
was one of the four States of the Demo-
cratic solid South" that gave their
electoral votes to the Republican Pres
ident.
Well Qualified.
Mrs. Hobby is we'll qualified. She
headed the women's organization in the
Army during the Second World War,
and she has had wide experience in
civic affairs. In her selection to head,
first the Federal Security Administra-
ton, and now the new Department OF
Health, Education and Welfare, Presi-
dent Eisenhower followed the rule he
has laid in making appointments to
office: First. THAT the appointees shall
be able to give the country good serv-
ice, because of their abilities and ex-
perience.
The number of cabinet officers. which
was contracted from 10 to 9 when the
Department Of Defense was created
and the Secretaries of War and Navy
ceased to be of cabinet rank, Is again
expanded to 10. The new department
has been hammering at the door for
admission to the cabinet circle for
years. 1t might have been created by
presidential order during the Truman
administration had it not been for the
fact that Oscar Ewing, Democratic
head Of the Federal Security Agency.
would have been advanced to cabinet
rank. The very fact Of his appoint.
ment would. it is said, have been suf-
nclent to kill such a reorganization
plan. Mr.. Ewing was an outstanding
supporter of the Truman plan for
health insurance - called socialized
medicine by its opponents. Members
OF Congress, and this includes MANY
Democrats as we'll as Republicans. were
unwilling to take any chance of placing
MI. Ewing at the head of a new De-
partment Of Health, ETC. They feared
ne might press upon it his own ideas
OF "Soclallzed medicine" They have
no such fear of Mrs. Hobby. Quite the
contrary.
$4,000 Employees.
The new department will have con.
centrated within it many fields of ac-
tivity and nearly $4,000 officials and
employees. The Presidents belief is
That the administration Of these &C
tlvlties. some Of them closely related.
can be more effectively handled through
a closely knit executive department:
that in the long run it will be possible
10 save the taxpayers money. It is his
loea, too. that there shall be "unre-
mlttlng efforts" to improve health, edu.
cation and social security programs.
Inc new President. indeed, is making
IL very clear that there shall be no re-
treat. that such social gains as have
been made shall be increased rather
than Junked in any part, despite the
campaign slogans of the Democrats
last year that a Republican victory
would mean real losses to the people.
Increasingly, the Democrats who viewed
with alarm-for the people-the cleo
lion OF Eisenhower are having a tough
time making their fears and predic-
tons stand up.
President Eisenhower in his message
10 Congress transmitting his reorpani-
cation order, called attention to the
fact the creation of a Department Of
Health, Education and Welfare has a
background OF Republican support ex-
tending through many years. President
Harding in 1923 proposed such a de-
partment, and in 1924 a Joint Commit
tee on Reorganization made a similar
President Hoover in
1882 submitted reorganization pro-
poSal that would place health, educa-
ton and recreational activities in a
single executive department. WheA
the late President Franklin D. Roose-
welt was in the White House, in 1897.
the Presidents Committee on Admin
1strative Management called for a De-
partment of Social Welfare, which
would have gathered under one depart
ment these same activities The recon-
mendation was partially supplemented
in 1889, when the Federal Security
Agency was set up And finally, in
1949, the Hoover Commission. headed
by the former Republican President.
proposed the creation Of department
for social security and education.