Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-01-16
ATTORNEY GENERAL
GREGORY RESIGNS
Like McAdOo, He Leaves Cabinet
on Account of Financial
Considerations
IN F SINCE 1914
ne IL the Fifth Man to Leave Cabinet
During Six Years of President
Wilson'S Administration

Washington, Jan. 12.-Thomas Watt
Gregory, Encouragement of the United
States since 1914, has resigned because
of ''pecuniary responsibilities and will
return to the practice of law. President
Wilson has agreed to his retirement next
March 4.
Mr.. Gregory's letter Of resignation
dated January 0 and the Presidents
reply, cabled from Paris the next day,
were made public tonight at the White
House. The attorney generals letter
disclosed that he had long considered
retiring from office and had discussed
the matter with the President before Mr..
Wilson went abroad.
Mr.. Gregory's successor has not yet
been appointed and there has been no
official intimation as to who he will be.
In speculation to-day the names of Frank
l.. Polk, counsellor of the state depart
ment, and acting secretary while Mr..
Lansing is in Europe, and Senator Hamil-
ton Lewis of Illinois were mentioned.
Mr.. Gregory's letter of resignation fol-
lows:
Dear Mr.. President:
in accordance with the purpose ex-
pressed in our conversation just before
you went abroad, | tender my resigna-
ton as encouragement.
1T has been not quite six years since
/ became connected with your admin
istration and more than four years ago,
a few days after war was declared by
the European nations, l became a mem
Der of the cabinet. 1t can be fairly said
that during no other six years in the
history of our country nave so many
great problems been presented and
solved. The reflection that at such a
time l have been permitted to stand by
your side and assist in a modest way
in dealing with those national and inter
national issues is now, and will always
be, my greatest source of pride.
"No man ever served a leader who was
more uniformly considerable, more kindly
helpful and more generously apprecia-
tive. No subordinate was ever more
deeply grateful for the numberless
friendly words and acts of his superior.
"Pecuniary responsibilities OF a sub
stantial nature rest upon me and my
private affairs have long demanded at
tention. During the continuance Of
actual warfare, ] did not feel at liberty
to weigh these personal considerations
in the balance against the public duties
with which I was charged. By March
q. of the present year, the department of
Justice will have substantially brought
its wal activities to a close and be work.
ing under normal conditions. / there
fore ask that this resignation take effect
on that date.
Faithfully yours,
ct. w. GREGORY"
The Presidents reply said:
My dear Mr.. Attorney-General:
at is with profound reluctance and
regret that / accept your resignation.
] do so only because you have convinced
me that it is necessary in your own in
terest for you to retire. There has been
no one with whom l have been associated
in Washington whom | have learned
more to trust nor to whose counsels l
have attached more value and import
ance. Your administration of your office
has been singularly able and singularly
conscientious and watchful of the public
interest, and I feel that it is a very seri-
Gus loss indeed t the nation that you
should find yourself obliged to withdraw
from public life.
my best wishes no only, but my affec-
tionate friendship will follow you into
retirement, and / hope with all my heart
that in some way and at some time l
shall again have the privilege and benefit
of being associated with you.
CORDIALLY and fraternally yours,
"WOODROW WILSON"
Mr.. Gregory is the second cabinet off,
Ger to resign recently on account of per-
sonal financial considerations, William G..
McAdoo having retired last month as Sec
rotary of the treasury. because he could
not support his family on the cabinet
members salary of 1000 a year.
Mr.. Gregory is the fifth man to leave
the cabinet during the six years of Presi-
dent Wilson's administration. Others
were Secretary of State Bryan, Secretary
of War Garrison, Attorney General Nc
Reynolds, Mr.. Gregory's predecessor, who
was appointed to the Supreme Court, and
Mr.. McAdoo.
Mr.. Gregory has served as attorney
general since August 70, 1914, and before
then he served as a special assistant of
the attorney general in the investigation
of the New Haven transportation system
in New England and obtained a dissolu-
ton of that system without resorting to
suit, He was born in mississippi, but
now has his home in Texas. where he
gained recognition as prosecutor of the
so-called oil trust.
Throughout the war, the attorney-gen
erals duties have been a"duous. TIL
functions of policing the country, seek
ing out dangerous enemy aliens for prose.
cution or internment, combating Ger
man propaganda and rounding up draft
slackers were lodged mainly in the de
partment of justice. Many difficult and
delicate questions arose during the ad
ministration of war powers, and aftel
hostilities ceased, 1t was a source of pride
to Mr.. Gregory, expressed in his reporr
for the year, that the war department
had been able to break down the German
espionage system in this country, and {,
reduce sabotage to practically nothing.
Before the war, one of the principa
functions of the attorney-gneral was il
bringing to argument in the suprem,
court a number of antitrust cases. Mos
of these are now pending, and it will
devolve on the new encouragement no
only to press these but to assist in for
mulating new antitrust legislation whicI
the next Congress probably will take ur
Mr.. Gregory has made no definite plan
= for the future and has not yet determine,
where he will practice law.
/, MAMMOTH OLYMPIC MEET
Paris, Saturday, Jan. ia mammoth
military olympic meet to be held in Pari