Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-05-18

Doot1nued from Faee Ono
and visited California. returning early
this month. His condition was favor
able for an operation and continued inn
pavement was noted until this morn.
Ing.
It was often said Of Franklin X.
Lane that II he had been born In the
United States instead Of Canada he
would have been presidential timber:
After serving seven years in President
Wilson's cabinet as Secretary of the
Interior, he resigned his Sl2 600 "a
year post in expensive washington
early in 1920 'in Justice to his family
to become vice president and legal ad-
wiser of the Mexican petroleum COM
panies controlled by Edward l.. Doheny.
Born near Charlottetown, Prince
Edward Island. July IS, 1854, the son
Of a Canadian doctor. who removed to
California during the boys childhood,
young Lane was educated at the Uni
versity of California, from which he was
graduated in 1885. BY reason OF his
scholastic achievements the honorary
degree Of LII. d. was conferred upon
him some years later by his alma mater
and by New York and Brown univer-
sities and the University OF North
Carolina.
Upon leaving college he engaged in
uewspaper work. becoming part owner
and editor of the Tacoma (Wash.
Daily News. In 1889 he was admitted
70 the bar of California, and from 1877
until 1902 served as corporation coun-
sel of San Francisco. In the latter
year he was the Democratic candidate
Tor Governor Of California, but was not
elected. He received the party vote of
the State Legislature in 1908 for United
States Senator.
APPOINTED a member Of the Inter
state Commerce Commission by Presi-
dent Roosevelt in 1905, later becoming
chairman, Mr.. Lane was serving In
that capacity when he was made Secre-
tary Of the Interior.
Became Known rs Progressive
During his service on the Interstate
Commerce Commission he earned the
reputation Of being a progressive. His
decisions in the railway cases were said
to have been almost invariably pleasing
10 men of advanced ideas. he favored
for years a national corporation COM
mission similar to the Interstate Com
merce Commission with power to
regulate all business enterprises en-
Rared in interstate commerce as the
most effective remedy for trust evils.
He also advocated commission form
Of government for Alaska. He was
elected a member Of the permanent In
ternational Railway Commission, or
ganized in 1910 at the International
Railway Congress in Berne, Switzer-
land.
In 1918 Mr.. Lane headed the Ameri-
can delegates at a joint conference with
high commissioners from Mexico. as a
result of which q protocol was signed
at Atlantic City and United States
troops were withdrawn from that
country.
When the United States entered the
war in 1917. Secretary Lane. in a
number of public speeches, outlined the
country's purposes and urged business
men TO show sacrifices as worthy as
those of the men on their way to the
trenches" In numerous addresses In
behalf of the Liberty Loans he declared
the defeat of the United States was
'.unthinkable' and that the Govern.
ment was determined to See the war
fought to q finish.
Aided Returning Of Troops
When peace came he devised plans
for the employment Of returning troops,
urged Congress to federalize the Ameri-
canization of the foreign born, aided
In the reconstruction of France and
other war torn nations and advocated
Immediate passage Of bill to give
farms to soldiers. He was also active
In the Council for National Defense
and the American Red Cross.
Secretary Lane was keen supporter
of the League of Nations covenant and
advocated ratification Of the Peace
Treaty of Versailles.
In the summer of 1919 Secretary
Lane recommended to the President the
calling of a conference of representa-
tives of American capital, labor and in
dustry to discuss economic problems.
The National Industrial Conference, OF
which Mr.. Lane was made chairman,
was the result. AS chairman of the
Railroad Wage Commission in 1918 he
helped to settle a number of strikes and
avert threatened walkouts.
Mr.. Lane married In 1893 Miss Anne
Wintermute, of Tacoma, Wash. Two
children were born to them, Mrs. Nancy
Lane Kaufman, of Washington, and
Lieutenant Franklin *. Lane, Jr., L.
8. A., Of Los Angeles, Calf.
nraaI1 Ia1InN tAAr