The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-05-21
HUGHES IDEAL
 AS INVESTIGATOR
Rx HOLLAND


 New York, May 2O.- -(special)-Gover- nor Hughes Csometimes he is spoken of to us as Judge Hugres, but more fre- quently as Governor Hughes) will in all probability be compelled to defer or per haps abandon some important profession al opportunities which are at hand, be- cause if he undertakes the investigation of the aircraft production and the vari- ous reports which have been circulated in relation to it, he will give his entire tifre to that work.
 That was his way when, az counsel for the legislative committee, he conducted the investigation into some of the in- sursnce companies of New York Then, however, Governor Hughes. plain MT. Hughes at that time, was aware that the legislature would appropriate sum that would be regarded as adequate payment for his services. Such appropriation was made. Now no one excepting the Pres ident and the Attorney General know what compensation if any is to be givesz fer the service which President Wilson has invited him to undertake. Whether it be enc dollar or some thousands of dellars would make no difference tc Gov ernor Hughes.
 The selection of Governor Hughes for tiis important duty has been spoken of here as perhaps the finest illustration ot the Presidents capacity to judge what rhe expedient and the best thing to do is. Of course, when Governor Hughes begins thc investigation and even before he is prepared for this work, the entire coup- try will recognize that, rigid republican as hc is he will not allow any partisan Influence CT any consideration of a per- sona1 character to shift Airo from the main line or the side lines of the inves- tigation.
 The distinguishing personal charactcris- tics anC especially the temperament which identify Governor Hughes, have always been recognized by politicians as not the qualities which enable man to succeed greatly in political management and party leadership, It has sometimes been thought that had he possessed a lit tie more of that peculiar quality which for want of a better name is called per- sonal magnetism which specially distin- guished James G. Blaine and has distin- guished Theodore Roosevelt, he might have easily wen the presidential election of 1916.
 QUALIFIED FOR INVESTIGATOR
 But if these be defects somewhat dis qualifying him for personal political lead ership the qualities are precisely those which have made him eminent as investi- gator. He Was d man of ice when con ducting the insurance investigation, Many times appeals were made to him by men who were friends of insurance officers whose transactions were under investi gation, with intent to persuade him to go easily into lu> estigations so far as these insurance men were concerned. But he was immovahlc His course did cause some arrangements which, even after he became candidate for President, were not eliminated,
 His intellectual quality and his tenn perament constitute him perhaps the greatest of investigators, at least sincs Samuel J. Tllden conducted the inves- tgation into the corrupt relations ot William M. Tweed to New York city. h some resrects Governor Hughes resen- bles Governor Tilden, particularly ln the intellectual clarity of thought and in the ability to discern in a vague and apparently meaningless record or state ment testimony which, supported by etl- dence, was sure to be conclusive Like Tildens mind, that of Hughes is mathe- nautical, although that word does not fully explain the meaning. He sees things With a mathematician's clear ness and is able to express them in speech or written report with the a:- curacy Of a mathematical calculation. It Was said of Hughes just after the insurance investigation, that the jus tices of the court of appeals of New York state, whose chief justice, before whom Hughes sometimes appeared, was Alton P. Parker-now like MT. Hughes, a defeated candidate for the presidency always observed that in his argu- ments Hughes made no distinction be- tween those things which were essential to maintain his case and those which