The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-06
HARD|NG'S FRIENDS CONGRATULATE HIM. HIS APPOINTMENT Telegrams Pour In From
 All Sections of the
 Country
NO OFFICIAL WORD
 RECEIVED AS YET
In Absence of Formal Notification. Declines to Make Any State ment, But Local Friends Are
 Confident He Will Accept

w P G. Harding. president of the First National bank, who has been se- lected as member of the federal re- serve board, had no official communi- cation as to his appointment up until q late hour last night. While he is will ing to admit the authenticity of the re- ports that he has been selected, and al- though he was almost literally swamped with telegrams of congratulations yes- terday. he was still unwilling to make any statment as to whether he would accept the appointment. He is believed to be only awaiting official notifica- tion.
 Receives Many Congratulations From the time he reached his office yesterday morning until he left MT. congratulated him. Telegrams poured in from literally all over the United States. Friends called upon MT. Hard- ing all during the day but were una ble to obtain from him any inkling of what he intended to do about the appointment. He said only one thing yesterday for publication, that was:
 T have no official word. I may be and l may not be appointed. My accept anee will depend upon many things. l must know much more than l know now before l can make any statement. The notice may be in the mail and l may receive it at any time. Until l know officially about this I must de- cline to make any statement about it
 Opinion among Birmingham people was that MT. Harding would accept the place and that it was great honor to him and to Birmingham.
 MT Harding is one of the best bank CTS in America said w W. Crawford, president of the American Trust, "and this appointment is great honor. While We would regret his leaving here, yet l believe he should accept the place
 The opinion and compliments of MT. Crawford were shared by Edward Craw- ford of that bank as well as by w. C.. Hamilton, c. M. Williamson, H. K. Jeff ferson, Frank Stevens and others.
 Eugene +. Enslen of the Jefferson Coun- ty bank said it was one of the greatest honors that could be paid banker and that MT. Harding would, in his opinion, accept the place.
 William C. Weston, the well known architect, said that MT. Harding's selec- tion was a great compliment to Birming-
 
 MT. Harding, he thought, would accept the call.
 John l.. Parker, Belton Gilreath. Frank B. Fowlkes,s William A. Porter, Henry l.. Badham. Robert Jemison. Jr, and scores of others spoke of the honor while Henry B. Gray, formerly a well known banker here, said that it was greater than any honor yet conferred upon a southern banker, and MT. Harding would, he believed, take the place. MT. Gray predicted that MT. Harding would be easily the hardest working man on the board.
 Among Messages Received
 As stated. MT. Harding received scores of telegrams from all parts of the coun- try congratulating him and urging him to accept. Among them were the follow ing:
 A. E. Porter, president of the Broad way National bank of Nashville: Con gratulations on your appointment. We sincerely urge your acceptance
 Henry R. Carse, vice president of the Hanover National bank of New York:
 Sincere congratulations. I trust you will be able to accept.''
 John w. Platten. president of the Uni ted States Mortgage and Trust company, represented here by Glenn Gazzum: You have my warmest and sincerest congratu- lations upon your nomination as a mem Der of the federal reserve board. l hope you will accept
 William Ingle of the Merchants and Me- chanics National bank of Baltimore: Morning news delights me. Yours is a great opportunity. l wish you the best. Maj. Charles M. Lyerly of Chattanooga Most hearty felicitatons. The country is to be congratulated. You must ac- cept.''
 Franklin O. Brown of New York con nected with Redmond & Co.,: Please ac-