Evening star., 1921-10-13
LIFE OF SENATOR MARKED
..x BY RAPID RISE TO FAME
Holds But One Public Office Before Ap-
pointed to McKinley's Cabinet-Becomes
One of Nations Leading Statesmen.

diplomacy" This term was intended
70 be one of derision, but Mr.. Knox
has since declared that it Is a nick
name of which he is very proud. 1t
was his proposal that the arbitral
court should be established at The
Hague, that the Manchurian railway
be nationalized, and approved the
justice for maintaining peace in Central
America.
Secretary Knox negotiated arbitra-
ton treaties with France and Great
Britain. In 1912 he went as represen-
tative of the United States to at
tend the funeral of Emperor Mutsuhi-
to. of Japan. feature of his secre-
taryship in the state portfolio was
the famous dispute with Great Britain
over the proposal to exempt American
coastwide shipping from payment Of
tolls for the use Of the Panama canal,
the aftermath of which was recently
enacted when Mr.. Knox was again
in the United Staets Senate.
He returned to the Senate by pop
ular election November 6, 1916. to
t'nued to play there a prominent part
in the affairs of the nation. AS one
Of the outstanding leaders Of the re-
publican side. he took his full share
Of the work and responsibility that
fell to the majority in the upper
the war and the equally trying period
that has followed the cessation of
hostilities while the United States
was trying to do its rightful part in
the readtustment Of international re-
lations. His term Of service would
have expired March 3, 1923.
Born May 9. 1853.
Senator Knox was born at Browns
vile. Pa. May s. 1853. He was the
eleventh Of twelve children-five girls
and seven boys. He denied the often
repeated story that his father was
wealthy. and claimed to be one of
were born poor. but won their way to
fame and fortune. up to the time Of
the civil war my father never received
more than $500 year as cashier OF
the Brownsville Bank" SEM tor Knox
said. land after the war his salary was
never greater than s1.75o year" His
father was an educated man and sent
all his children to school.
Senator Knox VS. named after
noted Episcopal bishop. Philander
Chase. The senator's education was
laid in the public schools and he was
then sent to college. West Virginia
University was first chosen. Knox
later went to Mount Union College.
near Alliance. Ohio, from which he
was graduated in 1872, when he was
| nineteen years old.
Ambition to BE Lawyer.
He then took up the study Of law in
Pittsburgh and was admitted to the
bar in 1875. From early youth his in
tention and aim was to be a lawyer.
While attending college he got ahead
of his classes and went into printing
Office for year.
He read law in Pittsburgh with H.
B. Swope. one of the most successful
and able men then at the bar in west
ern Pennsylvania. After he had grad
| uated from college his father died.
and 1t was necessary for him to so to
work. SO young Knox took a job as
Clerk in the Brownsville Bank. He
remained in the bank one year, re-
ceiving 500, of which he saved $500.
This paid his way into the profession
, in which within twenty-five years he
amassed fortune. While studying
law he lived on $25 month for two
| years.
First Public ONCE.
Shortly after young Knox began the
practice of law he was made assistant
district attorney for the western dis
trict of Pennsylvania. and that Is the
| only public Office he ever held before
! he became a member of Mckinley's
cabinet.
Mr. Knox. as lawyer. cabinet MEM
| ber or senator. never made pretense
| of being an orator. While he made a
! forcible argument before a court, and
| marshaled arguments strikingly in the
Senate. he never was a jury pleader.
| He never posed as a public speaker.
politically. professionally or over cof-
| fee ard cigars. His work as lawyer
| was chiefly as a counselor and adviser.
and in this he was eminently success
/, full.
Honored by Unfversities.
Besides receiving the degree Of
A. NJ. from Mount Union College, Mr..
| Knox has the degree of LII. D. from
that institution and also from Yale,
Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh universi-
| ties and from Washington and Jefrer-
son and Villanova colleges and the
| University of Guatemala.
Five years after being admitted to
the bar he married Miss Lille Smith,
daughter Of Andrew D. Smith Of
| Pittsburgh. They have three sons and
| one daughter. Eleanor, wife of J. r.
/ Tindle. The sons are Reed, Hugh S.
and Philander c. Knox, jr. The home
! life of the Knox family was one Of
| ideal devotion. and the senator's beau
[ tiful mansion in Washington and his
, farm in Valley Forge have been the
! scenes of much social activity.