The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-05
POLK TO RESIGN
ASLANSING AID
State Department Work Is Too
Heavy, With President and
Secretary Absent.
TO PRACTISE LAW HERE
No Clash With Administration
Which Will Lose One of
Its Ablest Men.
Special Despdtch to TIE SuS.

WASHINGTON, June 4.-The United
States Government is to lose soon the
services Of Frank L. Polk, Acting Sec
retary of State and one Of the strong
est men in the Administration, who
will resign. Mr.. Polk has confided to
his friends that his health will not
permit him to continue his present
duties. although he hopes to remain at
least until Secretary Lansing returns
and until the President can complete
plans for the future organization Of
his department. But even this is de-
pendent upon Mr.. Polk being able
to obtain much needed rest which his
physician has ordered.
Mr.. Polk declined to-day to discuss
his plans for publication, but made a
point of saying that he was staunchly
with the President and the Admins
tration on the present international
policy, and that any intimation to the
contrary was entirely without founda-
ton.
Friends OF Mr.. PolA are particularly
anxious that his resignation plan be not
linked with questions Of policy as they
say there is no more loyal supporter of
III" Administration than Mr. Polk. 1t Is
realized. however, that the present
strain is more than he or any one else
car stand continuously.
With President Wilson and Secretary
OF State Lansing in Europe pilng up
hourly more work for the State De-
partment II has been necessary for Mr.
Polk to he Acting Secretary of State.
Counsellor of the State Department
supervisor of a score or more important
lines OF special work and representative
of the Administrations new interna-
uonal policy all at the same time.
Diplomatists say that no three men
could handle the work done by Mr..
Polk without breaking down under the
strain and they privately wondered why
some measures were not taken to pro-
vide the State Department with much
needed assistance at this time.
Mexico has begun to boil again, re-
quiring close personal attention by Mr..
Polk to all delicate matters OF detail,
while the Far Eastern question, recent
incidents respecting Japan, and prospec-
tive loans to China are also matters
which must be passed upon. The ques-
ton OF passports alone is sufficient To
keep several men busy for twelve hours
day, and Mr.. Polk has the added duty
Of giving final decision as to whether
passports shall or shall not be issued.
This accumulation of duties Hoes par
ticularly hard, in some respects, with a
man of Mr.. Folks characteristics be-
cause he has long been accustomed to
putting every ounce of effort into every
thing he does. Apparently his legal
training has made him attach far great
er importance TO matters of detail than
Is customary in the circumstances. For
Mr.. Polk loyalty to the Admnistrat on
seems TO mean giving the best that is in
him by way OF continuous and sus-
tained hard work no matter what the
sacrifice to his personal affairs may be.
1t is understood that after leaving the
department Mr.. Polk contemplates re-
turning TO his law practice in New York.
The fact that Mr.. Folks position has
made It necessary for him to maintain
silence on matters of international pei
icy has led some to believe he was not
altogether in sympathy with the Presi-
dents new ideals and plans But beyond
this there has never been any real foun-
dation for sporadic reports OF differences
OF opinion.
Several members of Congress, Re-
publicans as we'll as Democrats, who
have privately heard OF Mr.. Folks in
tention to withdraw have expressed the
keenest regret, and Mr. Polk. regardless
of political differences. has had the ad-
miration and respect OF ALL