ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews a small set of appointments beginning with some persons named to be secretary of war. It then considers the appointments of a secretary of state and, briefly, of some secretaries of the navy. A review of top-level staffing decisions provides a basis for assessing claims about "business" influence, about the role of a new president's sponsors. The case of William Waldorf Astor also challenges the assumption of "business" dominance. The disturbance which would be caused by a large number of changes in important positions just at the time would be particularly unfortunate for business interests abroad. Of all the cabinet positions, the War and Navy Departments pose the greatest difficulty when assessing the likely competence of candidates. The Spanish-American War, a brief sixteen-week effort, proved a great success for the Americans but Alger's management left much to be desired. The events of 1914-1918 presented still other problems, much more formidable ones than those of the Spanish-American War.
