An Appointment

The lot of a buffer State is proverbially hard. The Secretary to the President is a buffer State between his master and a horde of graspers who swoop down on the White House with endless demands. The Secretary needs diplomacy and a study of defense.

This difficult position has been the property of George B. Christian, Jr., of Marion, for the last two years. Mr. Christian announced that he would resign, saying: " I entered public life with Warren G. Harding and I leave it now that he has been called away."

Mr. Coolidge appointed C. Bascom Slemp of Big Stone Gap, Va., and the announcement was received by politicians as a distinct surprise.

It had been generally expected that Edward T. Clark would succeed to the position. Said those who were most polite: " And Edward T. Clark, who had been Mr. Coolidge's secretary ever since the Vermonter came to Washington as Vice President, who has toiled night and day in the awful confusion of these first days of the new incumbency, who served Senator Lodge of Massachusetts for seventeen years as secretary, who is considered one of the most competent secretaries in Washington--Mr. Clark is saying nothing. Loyalty is one of the earmarks of the good secretary."

Mr. Slemp, who is 53 (two years older than his chief) was elected to Congress in 1907 and served continuously until he voluntarily dropped out at the last election. He studied law at the University of Virginia, became later an instructor of mathematics, practiced law at his native Big Stone Gap, became President of the Slemp Coal Company. Since 1905 he has been Republican State Chairman.

Adverse critics of the Administration were quick to point out what they identified as " a magnificent political stroke to capture Southern Republican support and hence delegates to the next Republican Convention." They shook their heads over what amounted to "almost an announcement that Coolidge is out full force for the 1924 Republican nomination." They muttered " patronage power" and spoke of "a Chief Executive who stoops to measure men by the political yardstick."

Calvin Coolidge himself said nothing.