South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-04-24
STA TESMEN
REAL AND NEAR
BY FIRED G. KEI4LX,

uel G.. Blythe found himself face TO
face with the big Marshall Field de-
partment store. He entered the place,
and being in a jocular mood. he was
greatly impressed by the appearance
of a floor walker whom he regarded
as unnecessarily digniGed. Desiring
to ascertain If il were possible TO
rufie the mans ambassadOrial dig
nifty. Sam walked up TO him and said
BEG pardon. Can you tell me how
TO get to the Marshall Field store ,"
The scheme worked nicely, for the
man nearly threw fit right there
Ever since he became the youngest
assistant secretary of war on record
he was just % when appointed
Henry S. Breckenridge has felt that
the Fates have at last let up on him
and permitted him to have a little
spirit out OF life. Heretofore Brecl-
inridge has constantly been shunted
off from doing what he desired 10 do.
He has always had a hankering after
military affairs. When he was a
small boy every male membef of his
family older than himself was en-
titled to wear a uniform. and il was
little wonder that he, too. yearned
10 tote q gun. He had a father who
was a major general in the regular
army, two brothers also in the army,
another brother at West Point. and
another in the navy.
So one day Breckenridge announced
that he was going 10 bend his young
energies from then on toward prepar-
ing for West Point and becoming a
military man like the rest of the
folks.
But all his relatives Immediately
jumped on him, saying in substance:
Henry. you know very well that
the military business has been done
to death in our family here of late.
If we keep on at this rate Wen be
in a rut Do not. oh. do not. become
a soldier"
Being an obedient young man,
Henry yielded to this urgent pe1sua-
sion and instead of going TO West
Point, he went to Princeton. From
there he went to Harvard law school
and presently became a regular law
yer Imagine the plight of a young
man whose soul thirsts to mix up
with the soldiery, having to retire to
a law office in Lexington, Ky, and
set himself to hunting for the flaws
in musty old deeds. 1t would be al
most as bad as the case of a small
boy called in from the back lot right
at the critical inning of a ball game
to take a lesson on the violin. Every
little while Breckenridge chafed un-
der the legal poke and once, while
he was still in law school it was all
arranged that President Taft should
give him a civilian appointment to
the army. But his wife was taken
i'll just when the proposition was up
and he changed his plans.
When he was offered the chance TO
be assistant secretary of war. Brick
inridge recognized that at last his
lifetime of hard luck was taking
turn for the better and he grabbed
the place like a man leaping for the
tail end of 7:15 train.
Wont your law practice suffer
while you're in Washington"
friend asked young Breckenridge.
It's time something was suffering
besides me-" Breckenridge replied. He
was too busy chuckling over having
a congenial occupation TO be fretting
himself about the status of a mere
law practice.
If we should ever be plunged into
war with any foreign power, the first
thing to do will be to have Henry S.
Breckenridge go and shake HADds
with each member of the opposing
army. After that every one will be
too crippled to handle a gun. For
he has grip like quick-actiOn, self
cooking monkey wrench, and shakes
hands about the way we imagine q.
lion would like to shake hands He
isn't one of those smart alexis, un-
derstand, who love to hear the low
crunch of bones in the hands of a
stranger: he simply has a hearty
hearty shake-extremely hearty. 1t
is such a hearty shake, in fact, that
his victim half unconsciously looks
down to see if his shoes aren't being
shaken off.
It was while at Princeton univer-
Sity that young Breckenridge i'm
pressed himself on Woodrow Wilson
in manner that led to his present
place Wilson was trying to demo-
CratiZe Princeton. and Breckenridge,
I though born with at least a Rogers
Brothers silver spoon in his mouth,
the child of aristocracy. was the stu
dent leader Of Wilson'S efforts to-
ward the complete stamping out of
college caste He made a great hit
with Wilson. and when the former
Princeton head got into the pre-
nomination hght for the presidency,
breckenridge was placed in charge of
the Kentucky campaign. He had been
out of law school then only a year
or two. and about the only comments
/ he brought forth when re first step
ped TO the bat as a political leader
was:
(which one of the Breckenridge
boys is ito" Or
wei, the lad has his nerve with
him
Close friends Of the president say
\ that Mr.. Wilson would as soon have
Breckinridge's view on certain kinds
\ of things as anybody's.
Il must ask Henry Breckenridge
Y about that" is a remark frequently
\ heard at the white house.
And having been asked for an hon
\ est opinion. young Breckinridge
/ would just as soon d. cree with the
\ president as he would with his bar
4 Der.
Though he is now only - after
\ being the youngest assistant secretary
OF war for more than a year. 8reck-
/ inridge would not be suspected al
1 first glance of quite such precocity
I This is because of premature Streaks