Omaha daily bee., 1921-06-26
mid West Landlubber
To Run u. S. on High Seas
Al Lasker, Advertising Peer, Rolls Up His Sleeves
Through Friendship for Warren Harding, to Sail
Into Problems of Poor Old Shipping Board
BY ROBERT BARRY,
wnshington Correspondents a Editor and
Ruh1isheV.

members OF the peSsimiSts CLUB.
Something has gone awry with their
standby. When all else failed them
in the past the shipping board at
fordcd abundant occasion for calam-
ity bowling. In longevity it stood
higher even than the war risk insur-
ance bureau.
They always were able to predict
with pessimistic confidence that the
administration of the American mer-
chant marine justified their viewing
with alarm"
Now, here comes breezy individ-
ual from Lake Michigan's shore to
challenge the dire prediction of every
alarmist. He hardly knows a
schooner from a seow. He never
meddled in government except in
the making of government officers.
He is unfamiliar with all the bicker-
ing. and clubbing which constitute
the major history of the shipping
board.
And his name is CAP Lasker.
Newspaper men know the name.
Advertisers know the man. Amer
lea knows his successes. Washing
ton greets him hopefully. The presi-
dent, his administration and his
party look to him to perform a task
about which they have few misgiv-
ings. They are aware that Lasker
has tackled a job second in mag
nitude of problem and opportunity
for failure alone to that OF the group
of congressman who must somehow
or other lower the tax bill of the ma
ton.
Born for Nickname.
Lasker smiles when he meets you.
He never heard of you, doesn't know
what you want, may have inter-
rupted business conversation to re-
ceiye the introduction, yet he smiles
He makes you believe he is glad to
see YOU and that he really wants to
hear what you have to say. In other
words, he has that faculty. which as
a trait and not a pose, makes all the
difference in the world when one
come. to measure the success OF
men.
A lot Of people think they know
Lasker because they call him Al.
They do after a fashion. He is the
tvpe who would have nickname
like "Al' or "Jack" or "Jim," no
matter what sort Of name his par
ents attached to him before he was
old enough to protest. and no matter
how intimately you knew him. He
is the sort that men refer to IN
terms of admiration and genuine
friendship when he is not around to
hear them.
They say: "Know All Lasker. why,
Lord, yes, he ETC., etc" and present.
" some new attribute of greatness
is unfolded.
Play the Game.
Eave you eve. been to the Cubs
park in Chicago. !: you we,e !ucky
enough TO have seat IN that tier Q:
boxes in the lower stand almost di-
rectly behind the catcher or just lit
tie way toward first base, you might
find Lasker there. Unless something
very much the matter had happened
the other half Of the Damon and
Pythias entry-"Bili" Wrigley. who
need. no introdutlon to the readers
of newspapers-was close by. To
gether they played that ball game
every inch Of the way and they were
not eight inning rooters. They
learned to look for the breaks" in
business. They expected them or,
the diamond. They never believed
the man who dealt the luck was TAX
ing an off-day until the umpires
called it day.
1t seems like an insult to intelli-
gence to dwell on Lasker's success
in business. 1t shall not be done
here. Our own papers will have
told US all about that before this is
printed. To dwell on Lord and
Thomas would be an insult to the
Editor and Publishers friends in the
business offices. So let It suffice
for purposes OF making the record
complete to include mention of his
business achievements.
But he is Just the same genial Az
when you talk business as when you
talk base ball. or politics, or the su.
periority of the Lakeshore boulevard
to Riverside drive. He does not find
it necessary to don a mask OF keen
ness and severity-you know. the
stern business man" stuff--as so
many of our near giants of business
do to shield theiy pygmy minds from
public gaze. He simply recognizes
no need for posing. 1t never occurs
to him to do so.
Boyish Enthusiasm.
There is something of boyish en-
thusiasm about him. When the Cubs
start a series he roots for a clean
sweep. After the loss of the first
game he is sure of the next three.
If another goes for Sweeney he is
positive an even break is the worst
to be expected. That characteristic
has carried him along over many
bad spots in the road where Others,
for the lack of it, have hesitated to
risk tire.
He is the sort you glance around
to discover when you enter your
club. He is the type you phone to
ask for dinner. He has that knack
so many of US desire, of being able
to remember some of the good
stories he hears and repeat them with
added gusto. Things will have gone
mighty bad for him down in the
foggy bottoms Of Washington where
they have taken the shipping board
Offices. before he will have anything
but a smile for those who gain en-
trance to these impressive inner pre-
cincts where clerks speak low and
telephones are muffled and the gold
lettering on the door says "Chair-
man."
1t was not an easy task to gauge
Lasker's reaction to the formal an
nouncement at the White House that
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