Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-11-27
Factors That Go Into Cabinet
Se|ectionsby OurNew Presidents

adamant opposition to the nomi-
nation of Champ Clark of Missouri
for the presidential nomination in
1912, made it possible for Wilson
himself to be nominated.
Bryon-Wilson Row
Wilson and Bryan fell out over
the unrestricted warfare of Ger
many upon neutral shipping in
World War I. Bryan wanted
to submit the matter to arbitra-.
tion-Wilson did not. Bryan is
sued statement on his withdrawal
setting forth his reasons-but it fell
on deaf ears in the country. Will
sons other ouSting of Secretary
of State involved Robert Lansing.
After Wilson fell i'll in his cam
paign for United States adherence
to the League of Nations, Lansing.
made gestures looking to placing
Vice President Marshall in charge,
of the Government while Wilson
was incapacitated. Wilson Topped
off his official head.
In the selection of some of the
cabinet officers, for example Sec,
retaries of the Interior. of Agri-
culture, and PoStmasters General,
patterns have grown up. The Sec
rotary of the Interior has usually,
been native or resident of one of
the great public land States of the.
West, and the Secretaries of Agri-
culture. residents or natives of one
of the great farm States. The Of
fee of Postmaster General has
long been considered the proper
post for the man who MASTER
minded the election of a President,
as national chairman of his POI
itical party-or perhaps just CAM
paign manager. Z"
Today, in the Eisenhower cab.
met, Arthur Summerfield of Michi-
gan, chairman of the Republican
National Committee in 1852, now
sits as Postmaster General. At
the opening of President Eisen--
hower's second term, it was gen.
orally expected that Leonard w.
Hall, G.. o. P. chairman in 1856,
would be given a cabinet Office,
and probably the Office of POST
master General. Mr.. Summarized
had been reported in ill health
and likely to step out-but he did .
not.
Running the Post Office Depart
ment and the postal service is a
big-business job, and Mr.. Summer
field was successful businessman
in addition to being an adroit
politician. When President Frank
lin D. Roosevelt was about to take
Office, he picked James A. Farley,
who had run his 1882 presidential
campaign, to become Postmaster
General, an Office Mr.. Farley
held, as well as the Craftsmanship =
of the Democratic National Com
mittee. until he finally broke with
Roosevelt over the third-term issue
and because he thought the
President had deceived him.
When Franklin D. Roosevelt
picked his first cabinet in the
winter of 1928 he took into
account the men who had aided
him to win the crucial presiden-
tial nomination battle. He con-
sidered also, his personal likes, the
sections Of the country needing
representation and the abilities of
various potential cabinet officers.
For Secretary of State he turned
to Cordell Hull of Tennessee,
whose influence in the South had
helped to line up Southern dele
cations to the Democratic Ma
tional Convention. Also he liked
Hull, and considered that the Ten
nesSee Senator would be a stabil-
lzing influence in any cabinet-as
he proved to be.
First Woman Named
1t was Franklin D. Roosevelt
who named the first woman to O
cabinet Office, Miss Frances Perk-
ms, Secretary of Labor. The
selection enraged some Of the
labor leaders, who saw no good
reason for putting woman in this
Office. Miss Perkins, a widely
known social worker, however, re-
manned on the job during the
whole FDR administration. Or
ganized labor has always sought
a Secretary of Labor among its
own ranks or a man extremely
favorable to its cause. The first
Secretary of Labor, appointed by
President Wilson in 1913, was
William B. Wilson, who had been
a union member. President Eli
senhoweus first Secretary of Labor
was dyed in the wool trade
unioniSt, Martin P. Durkin. He
did not last too long on the Job.
Organized labor is today seeking
place or places in the Kennedy
cabinet. 1t feels 1t is entitled to
real recognition in view Of the
strong support it gave the Presi-
dent-elect in the recent campaign
both for the nomination and
the election.