Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1912-12-27
NEW NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Statesman With the True
Journalistic Instinct
BY Holland.

~ hNAAahNa
The late John Hay, who was the
second American to serve as ambas-
sador to the Court Of St. James, and
who. soon after the Spanish war, be-
came secretary Of state in Mckinleys
cabinet. holding over under Colonel
Roosevelt and dying in that Office
used to say to his friends that he was
at heart a journalist and a literary
man. In these vocations he found his
great mental stimulus and i'm work
of that kind his highest qualification.
Therefore. Mr. Hay was greatly
pleased to accept an offer TO enter
into the service of the New York
Tribune as an editorial writer after
he had had considerable diplomatic
experience I'm Austrial and i'm Spain.
Mr. Hay became first assistant sec
rotary of state under William NJ.
Evans. who was secretary of state
I'm President Haycs's administration.
Hay began this service as the success
sor of Frederick w Seward. who had
been assistant secretary of state
under his father i'm the administra-
tons of President Lincoln and Presi-
dent Johnson
He could have remained in that
office, under James G.. Blaine, in the
administration of President Garfield,
but there suddenly opened to him an
opportunity of which he gladly avail
ed himself because il was i'm line
with his inclination and his literary
impulses.
A few weeks after the -administra-
ton of President Garfield began, Mr..
Hay called at the Office of the post
master general at Washington. There
had been friendly relations between
Postmaster General Thomas l.. James
and Mr. Hay for some years.
81 was delighted to see Mr.. Hay
i'm my Office" said General James re-
Gently. although ] felt certain the
instant saw him that he had come
on some other business than that of
q mere formal call.
He said 20 me, after exchange OF
greetings. that he had come to make
a parting call
Are you going to leave Washing
Eyes, am going to New York, he
replied
20 looked at him inQuiringly, not
vcnturing to ask him il there was
any particular opening which had
tempted him to New York. Evidently
he read the meaning that was in my
glance for he said: 4 am going back
TO New York city. | look forward to
that with a great deal of pleasure.
You're an old printer and editor, Mr..
Postmaster General. and you can ap~
preciate what | feel when / say TO
you that 7 love the smell Of printers
ink. the hustle and excitement of edi-
torial work on a great daily news
paper
81 could not imagine why Mr.. Hay
was going back to The Tribune. and
said to him: Mr. Reid, ] know,
has declined the Presidents offer as
Minister 20 Germany. ] know that
not at second hand, but at first hand.
Well. you know the reason, don't
your Mr. Hay said
II confessed that I did not know,
/ but that / surmisod that the reason
might be due to The fact that Mr.
Reid was to be married i'm the spring
Eyes. Reid is going TO be married
and he might have made a honeymoon
year of it as Minister to Germany. But
] ] surmised that the lady, upon being
consulted. thought that it would be
the better part not to be away from
the United States the first year OF
their married life But they are going
to take a honeymoon, and for that
reason Mr. Reid has asked me to
come over into Macedonia and helr
him-I mean, by Macedonian, The
Tribune
shall YOU stay there permanent
ly? | asked
"Oh. no. only a few months, per
haps
After that what? asked.
why, Mr. Postmaster General
ann lust going TO reyel in literature.
HE did revel i'm literature until the
spring of 1897. when Mckinley called
him forth from this retirement an,
made him ambassador to the Court o
ST. James,
/ Copyright, 1912. by Il. j. Edwards
All Rights Reserved)
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell O