The Washington times., 1922-02-10


Does brain sometimes suffer be.
cause of lack of Drawn, even in
competition for positions calling for
head work rather than physical
strength?
Two recent experiences prompt
these question. Here they are:
| A restaurant manager OF recog.
nized ability Is seeking a change.
He has been told by two prominent
| leaders of the business: II would
, like to have you with me, but, as you
know, l must have a man Of very
! commanding appearance. It's too
bad you're so short"
At the automobile show in New
York a certain salesman ATTRACTED at
| iention by his record. Several
executives spoke TO him about his
unusual ability and in more than one
instance he was let know that he
! would have been offered a sales.
managership had he not been so
small Of stature.
Said the restaurant man 10 me:
| I'm this business, appearance counts
| for more than experience or ability.
The average hotel owner would rather
pick brainless Adonis than a we'll
trained, capable. tactful expert as an
assistant or as a head waiter, of for
any. other position that calls for
meeting and handling guests" Then
| he added: Maybe this is why a
good many hotels and restaurants
| do not make out better"
! The automobile salesman's com.
ments, as related to me, were more
forceful: els IT any wonder that the
automobile business is on the bum
when the fellows ct the top pick a
man for his weight rather than his
worth-for the size OF his belly
rather than the size OF his brain?
There's too much bluff and too little
brain all through this game. II they
went in less for putting up a front,
not so many Of 'em would disappear
| through the back door"
| The truth is that an impressive
stature is almost universally re-
! garded as valuable asset. Not a
| few captains Of industry have told
me that they always favor powerful
physical specimens when selecting
men for unusually responsible posi-
tons. I recall Frank A. Wander
! lips comment to me on this score:
II prefer as executives men of
fine, sturdy physique. because the
man who lacks this Is in danger of
at the very time he is most
needed"
In my humble opinion this ten
iency TO attach importance TO height
and girth is being carried danger
ously far. For manual work avoir-
dupois Is. of course. an important
consideration. For brain work, is
II?
About the highest compliment
you can pay n man Of conspicuous
achievement is to call him a ''Napo-
leon" of finance or industry, or
whatever line he is in.
Well. wasn't Napoleon a shortie?
Among the brainiest Americans of
modern times was Il. II. Hartman.
He accomplished much. but had he
| lived five or ten years longer he
would have accomplished very much
more-his plans in-the-making were
of bewildering magnitude, but that
| he would have succeeded in carry.
ing them out no man familiar with
the railway wizard" doubts for a
moment. Yet Hartman was a little,
Misunderstanding fellow.
Rockefellow is no two hundred
FOUNDER. and as for Carnegie, he
was quite a puny speCimen-indeed,
distinctly under the average height.
And are not these two recognized
as the foremost industrial giants
| America has vet produced.
Turning from transportation and
! industry to finance, what do we
find? Here the big fellows have 1t.
Yet, would the late J. p. Morgan
ever have been picked by any one
finicky about appearances? James
Stillman wasn't a big man, but the
present kingpin OF them all, George
+. Baker. is both a giant and
man of impressive appearance. ia
cob II. Schiff. on the other hand.
was diminutive. So is Otto II.
Kahn. For sheer brains, they say
that Dwight w. Morrow. of J. p.
Morgan & Co., is second to no man
in the whole financial district He,
too, is in the five-foot rather than
the six-foot class.
Among merchants. the head OF
the largest establishment in Amer.
lea, John c.. Shedd, who now con-
trolls Marshall Field & Co., is be-
low rather than above medium
height. Wanamaker is not a big
man. Franklin Simon is little, So
Is Claflin. As a matter of fact, the
mercantile field has many extreme
ly capable Jews among its leaders.
and Jews are more OF the David
than the Goliath type.
Among publishers. Hearst is tall,
Ochs Is of medium height, while
Curtis is short.
: Copyright, 1922, by b. c. ForbesD