THE CABINET: Change

For almost six months it had been expected; quidnuncs had talked of it confidently for many weeks; conservative correspondents had spoken of it with confidence for several days. So when it happened there was no surprise. John Wingate Weeks resigned as Secretary of War. Dwight Filley Davis, Assistant Secretary, was appointed to succeed him—becoming the second Davis in the present Cabinet,* and the second Davis to be U. S. Secretary of War.†

John Wingate Weeks, 65, formerly of Hornblower & Weeks, bankers and brokers, graduate of Annapolis and two years a midshipman in the U. S. Navy, U. S. Representative for eight years and Senator for six (until defeated in 1918 by David I. Walsh), runner-up for the Republican presidential nomination in 1916, has had four and a half years in the Cabinet. He became Secretary of War in 1921. As such he had the task of putting into effect the provisions of the National Defense Act of 1920, organizing the tripartite defense on which the U. S. relies—Regular Army, National Guard, and Reserve. Last Spring he was stricken with a heart attack, and has spent all summer convalescing. Soon he is to start on a two months’ journey to South America.

Dwight F. Davis, 46, the youngest member of the Cabinet, came out of the Middle West. He was graduated from Harvard in 1900. In those days he was a great tennis player, No. 2 on the U. S. list of singles players. He gave the Davis cup, which year by year has grown more famous, and in 1900 and 1901 he was on the team defending it. One of his contributions to tennis was the reverse twist service. But he went back to his native St. Louis and went into public life as a promoter of parks and playgrounds. As Park Commissioner he announced: “If we can’t have both people and grass in the parks, we will have people.” When the War came he went abroad doing relief work among prisoners, only to return to go into training at Plattsburgh. Then he became a Captain in the Fifth Missouri Regiment and went overseas as Major of the 138th Infantry. Twice he was cited for gallantry in action, and he has the Distinguished Service Cross. In 1920 he stood against the late Selden P. Spencer for the Republican Senatorial nomination in Missouri, but lost. The next year President Harding made him a director of the War Finance Corporation, from which he was advanced to Assistant Secretary of War. Since last Spring he has been Acting Secretary of War. His prompt handling of the “air troubles”—a request for an impartial inquiry, which has extricated the Administration from a difficult position—is said to have been the deciding factor in his latest elevation.

Tributes to Weeks:

“The administration of your office has been such that you will go down in history as a great Secretary of War.”—Calvin Coolidge.

“According to the unanimous opinion of Army officers he is one of the great War Secretaries of modern time, ranking with Elihu Root. … In spite of my own promotion, I sincerely share the universal regret at his resignation.”—Dwight F. Davis.

MacNider. As one steps out an-other steps in. President Coolidge appointed Hanford MacNider, of Iowa, onetime Commander of the American Legion (1921-22), to succeed Mr. Davis as Assistant Secretary of War. He is even younger than his new superior, is only 36. Like Mr. Davis he is a Harvard man. He fought overseas, rose to a Lieutenant Colonelcy, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Said Mr. Davis: “It is a splendid appointment.”

Cabinet Changes. The following table shows changes in the Cabinet since March, 1921. Only three members of Harding’s original Cabinet remain—Mellon, Hoover and James J. Davis. Besides them only Messrs. New and Work served under Harding. The figures indicate the order in which members retired from the Cabinet or died. Secretary Work was shifted from Postmaster General to Secretary of the Interior when Mr. Fall retired.

Harding Cabinet Coolidge Cabinet

1921 1925

State—Hughes 8 ……………. Kellogg

Treasury—Mellon…………..Mellon

War—Weeks 9 ……………… D. F. Davis

Justice—Daugherty 4 Stone 7 Sargent

Post—Hays 1 Work New

Navy—Denby 3 Wilbur

Interior—Fall 2 Work

Agriculture—Wallace 5 Gore 6 Jardine

Commerce—Hoover Hoover

Labor—J. J. Davis J. J. Davis

* The other Davis is James J. Davis, Secretary of Labor.

†The other Davis was Jefferson Davis, incumbent 1853-1867) under President Pierce.