Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-04
TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1921.
Presidents Turn TO Literature.

Presidents Turn to Literature.
What shall we do with our Presidents
secretaries is not nearly so difficult prob
lem AZ used TO be the disposal OF our
Presidents themselves Il has been dis
earned by the business world that the
man who ha. served Chief Executive IN
= personal capacity has gained an ao-
ousinAance with public men and measures
that makes him exceedingly valuable IN
,lmost all lines of big business, and for
ros,tions Of responsibility and trust.
Mr. Nimulty, who retires from public life
with the expiration Of President Wilson s
term. il said to be considering three or
four propositions that have been offered
HIM. anv one Of which would bring him
almost az much salary As il paid &c our
Resident. He is inclined 20 return TO the
practioe Of law, which he doubtless thinks
viii bring into play his experience with
national affairs and personages.
President benjamin Harrison provided
for his private secretary, Mr.. Elijah Hal
ford by obtaining for him comfortable
nerth in the army. "Whi.tling hge' was
the last of the secretaries who were retired
nto downy nest st the governments
exprnse. for almost all the others went
rom the White Houec TO bigger post
Prraidcnt Cleveland's secretary, Mr.
I.amotte. after retiring from Office became
railroad fnancier, and Colonel Roose-
velr. secretary, Mr.. Corteyou, has ever
SINCE been in big business. Mr.. Iafts
private secretary is in profitable business,
The ex-Presidents also have Way OF
looking after themselves these later days.
Mr. Harrison just began to find himself
and his abilities after lowering the tenn
r.eraturs Of the White House for a term.
Afs~ hn retirernent from the Presidency
he beoAms q lawyer; previously be had
hesn An attorney. Mr. Cleveland found
esnplovnsnt for bis leisure In law and
Iiteraturs. and Mr. Roosevelt took UP the
p~n. fought the "undeNrsbles, wrote
hunting and travel stories, shot big game
and small, and with little effort broke
Taft, split the Republican party, and four
voar. later united It's disoreanized forces.
Taft quit the Presidential chair and be-
come an editorial writer on national sffairs
finding S great audience through the
use of ms material by = syndicate that
supplied many leading newspapers IN sll
narts Of the country with his writings.
He j. said to have earned much more as an
editor than be wae paid as President, and
urobablv his advice or criticism WA more
useful than bis practices; for IL 10 con-
ceded that he writes interestingly and
lucidly. while his administration WIS not
regarded with fave. even by his OVID
l,artv
P.esident Wilson Win take UP the pen
after The fourth of March, and win give TO
the world history Of the rrea. war, with
sideGght. on the political attacks of his
Republican foes and Of their alliances with
the German-Amerioans 30 further their
Efforts TO drive the great war President
from the White House, az Lodge voiced II.
Doubtless, if President Wilson strength
is spared, his book will bring him mere In
the manuscripts than his total salary as
Chief Executive Of the United States,
which, with the subsequent royalties, viii
make the fortunes that enriched Grant,
who also turned TO the pen after his re-
tlrement from the White House, seem
like 3 small sIrn, or Blsine's earnings,
which seemed to be the peak of rewards
fer literary work at the time, appear pic
cayune IN size.
Almost all the Presidents since the Civil
War days turned TO writing after they had
served their terms ard found themsel' &c
without an occupation or money. Both
Blaine and Grant would have died en-
tIely without means had it not been for
the pen, and probably Woodr " Wilson
looks forward TO his history of the war
with the most satisfying assuran oe that 1t
viii bring him a fortune, and at the same
time give to the world facts that will vim
dictate his entire course and bring TO his
foes in American public life the coD-
demnation they so richly deserve He
will fix his own place and theirs in the
history Of the most momentous period of
our national existence
So what we shall do with the ex-
Presidents and their private secretaries
has been answered by the individuals
themselves. Both are more valuable for
independent pursuits after they have had
the experience of term at the head Of the
nation. The retiring secretaries find
places awaiting them in the ranks Of big
business; the ex-Presidents take readily
q the pen and earn big fortunes.