Arizona republican., 1919-01-13
Reason Given "Pecuniary Responsi- bilities" Is Second Member To Quit Because of Financial Troubles es-Res- ignation Makes Fifth Detection Takes Effect March 4-President Ac- cepts In Personal Letter Of High Endorsement.
TRepubIican A. p. Leased Wire1

" NAS6lNGlON, Jan. 1-.-l HolIldo Watt Gregory, attorney general of the United States since 1914, has resigned because of ''pecuniary responsibili- ties and will return to the practice of law. President Wilson has agreed to his retirement next March i.
 MT. Gregory's letter of resignation, dated January g, 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 befdre Mir. Wilson went abroad.
 MT. Gregory's successor has not yet been appainted and there has been no official intimation as to who he will be. In speculation today. the names of Frank L. Polk, counselor of the state department and acting secretary while MT. Lansing is in Europe, and Senator James Hamilton Lewis of Illinois were mentioned.
 Letter of Resignation
 Mir Gregory in his letter of resigna- tion says:
 Dear Mir. President:
 Tn accordance with the purpose ex- pressed in our conversation, just before you went abroad, I tender my resig- nation as attorney general.
 No man ever served d leader who was more uniformly considerate, more kindly helpful and more generously appreciative; no subordinate was ever more deeply grateful for the number less friendly words and acts of his ! superior.
 Pecuniary responsibilities of a sub- stantial nature rest upon me, and my private affairs long have demanded attention. During the continuance of actual warfare, I did not feel at liberty to weigh these personal considerations in the balance, against the public du- 1 ties with which I was charged. By March fourth of the present year, the department of justice will have sub | stantially brought its war activities 10 a close, and be working under normal conditions. I therefore ask that this resignation take effect on that date.
 Faithfully yours.
 TT. W. GREGORY"
 Letter of Acceptance
 The presidents reply said:
 My Dear MT. Attorney General:
 Tt is with profound reluctance and regret that I accept your resignation. do so only because you have con- vinced me that it is necessary, in your own interest, for you to retire. There l has been no one with whom 1 have been associated in Washington, whom I have learned more to trust, nor to whose counselS I have attached more value and importance. Your admin istration of your office has been sin gularly able and singularly conscien- tious and watchful of the public in- terest, and I feel that it is a very serious loss indeed to the nation, that you should find yourself obliged to withdraw from public life.
 My best wishes not only, but my affectionate friendship, will follow you into retirement, and I hope with all some time I shall again have the , privilege and benefit of being asso- l ciated with you.
 Cordially and faithfully yours. ! WOODROW WILSON l MT. Gregory is the second cabinet officer to resign recently on account of personal financial considerations, William G. McAdoo having retired last month as secretary of the treasury because he could not support his fam fly on the cabinet members salary of
 SIP 900 a year. Mir. Gregory is the fifth man to leave the cabinet during the six years of president Wilson S : administration. Others were Secretary of State Bryan, Secretary of War Garrison, Attorney General McRey- . holds, MT. Gregory's predecessor. who : was appointed to the supreme court, and MT. McAdoo.
 MT. Gregory has served as attorney
 general since August 29, 1914, and be-
 fore then he served as a special as sistant of the attorney general in the
 investigation of the New Haven trans , portation system in New England and
 obtained a. dissolution of that system without resorting to suit. He was born in Michigan, but now has his
 home in Texas, where he gained recog- t milton as prosecutor Of the so-called $ | oil trust
 n Throughout the war, the attorney generals duties have been arduors . MT. Gregory has made no definite :. plans for the future and has not yet : determined where he will practice law