The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-22

n1 HE justly famous Ananias club II has received a new member in the person of J. A. H. Hopkins, pro- gressive state chairman of New Jer- sey. Colonel Roosevelt is reported to have been enraged by letter pub
 lished in a New The Colonel Adds York newspaper, Another Member said to have been
 sent to him by MT. Hopkins, and in which the sage of Oyster Bay is charged with having called MT. Hughes "gold brick"
 In the letter, as printed, MT. Hop kins reproaches the colonel for say ing the progressives had deserted him in 1914 and recalls a conversation in which the colonel said he "had sold the party a gold brick once and didn't pro- pose doing it again." referring to MT. Hughes as "gold brick" and "only a little, if at all, better than Wilson,"
 With characteristic promptness Colonel Roosevelt declares the allega- tion that any such conversation took place is absolutely false." As MT. Hopkins probably has no desire to cross swords with the doughty colonel, the matter may be regarded as a closed incident. At any rate, he is now a member of the Ananias club, in good standing.
 If pacific persons thought the club was about to become extinct, this lat est incident shows how badly they were mistaken. It will continue to flourish and take in a new member from time to time as long as the col onel is able to lift finger.
 NEW Presidents during their term l of office have delivered any, thing like so many public addresses as Woodrow Wilson. Perhaps if the record were examined he would be found with a greater number of
 speeches to his The President to credit than any the Postmasters of his predeces-
 sors.
 Of the manifold invitations that come to the President iron social, civic and religious bodies, he accepts whenever it is possible flo, him ssl spare the time; and he has the dis tinction of being always fictitious.
 A typical address was that which he made at the annual meeting of the Postmasters' association ;n Washing ton Thursday. As the membership of the organization is confined to post masters of the presidential class MT. Wilson inferred in a playful vein that nearly every one present held com mission issued by his administration, and was therefore democrat. The shout then came, "We are all demo- crats;" and with that assurance the President proceeded to talk intimately. His message was on the duty of of- ficeholders giving the public the best of service. 'Let us band ourselves to- gether," he said, land let us prove to the people of the United States that we understand what they want and are reader to do it better than any body else they could find"
 As the country grows, the duties of the chief magistrate multiply. The mere routine of the executive office would be enough to keep most Presi- dents busy, but questions of state and of domestic and foreign policies are ever present; and no President since Lincoln has been pressed with Sc many grave problems for solution as MT. Wilson.
 Some people marveled at his power of endurance, but the fact is that he has developed an extraordinary ca pacity for organization and admins. tration. He has transferred a large part of the executive routine that used to occupy the time of the President to the heads of departments. The ap- oointment of postmasters is an ex- ampleAof President Wilson's business