Evening star., 1924-11-03
F LO W E X S
For the Living
Frank L. Polk
BY JAY JEROME WILLIAMS

When the day comes for Frank l..
Polk to take confidingly the hand of
an astral spirit and be conducted up
the marble stairs that end at the
golden gates Of Heaven, cne can Wis
ualize the "rap-rap-rap" of the
knocker on the big front door, and
st. Peters old. bald head, halo in
tact, popped inquiringly above the
rampant
"Who've you got there?" St. Peter
will ask.
Fellow named Polk from Amer.-
ca, the guide will respond.
Have to know more about him be-
fore I'll open the gate" Peter will
decree.
WELL" the guide will say, 'ff your
holiness will take my word for it,
ne seems to be a pretty good fellow
Course, 1 haven't known him long.
Just got him in tow at the bottom
or the stairs, and brought him up
mere but (and this will be sotto
Voce) he seems like an A No. /
applicant to me. i think YOU can
let him in without fear of the con-
sequences. The record shows that at
one time he was a kind of a general
utility man for the United States
Government, and-'
Ihat don't mean a thing to me-"
81. refer VIII remark.
But, will continue the guide, "he
went to Washington during Woodrow
WILSON'S administration, and so far
as 1 know he didn't make a single
enemy while he was there. Even the
Republicans liked him"
What! st. Peter will exclaim
Bring him in at once, By George
he is unusual"
soldier, statesman, public servant,
lawyer-this, in brief, is the career
OF Frank l.. Polk. And as for the
| career part of it, it's yet in the max
ing, for Frank Polk is still a young
man; In fact' he was somewhat of d
lledgilng when he marched away to
Porto Rico as captain in the Span
lsh-American war. He graduated
from Yale in 1894 took his LII. B. at
Columbia 81, hung out his shingle
In New YORK the same year, and went
to war the next. At some time in
MS life he must have learned the ad-
vantages Of being an all-round, gem
eral utility man to the nth degree.
He was counselor for the Depart
ment of State back in 1915-you may
recollect there was a war on then
which took considerable counseling
and later he became Undersecre-
tary of state. 1t was about this time
that Destiny called for all his tai
ents.
When President Wilson journeyed
to Paris in December of 1918, he took
with hlm many of the responsible
members of the Government But
Frank Polk was left behind as Act
ing Secretary of State and during this
turbulent period most of the busi-
ness of Government revolved around
the State Department Mr.. Polk bore
the brunt of all official complaints
centered on an absentee President
SO when the President returned home
in 1919, Frank Polk was the man
chosen to go to Europe to bear the
brunt Of most Of the ire against the
American peace delegation. And
there was ire a-plenty, for Europe
had taken down the welcome sign
for visiting Americans, no matter
what their capacity, and the task
that lay ahead was not a bed of
roses. Yet Frank Polk did a credit
able job, maintaining his own high
standard of usefulness, and made
friends for his country and himself in
Europe.
Frank Polk is a hard worker and
an able one. He has taken at all
times a good citizens interest in his
Government He has served well and
diligently as a member of the Board
OF Education of his natal city, New
York, and has also been a member of
the Civil Service Commission. He
has delightful faculty for making
friends in both high and low estate.
But don't for a minute set him down
as Pollyanna type. His chin alone
would be sufficient evidence to the
contrary. If evidence were needed
He now is practicing law in New
York. He is, in fact, a member of
the same law firm as was John w.
Davis, the Democratic presidential
nominee. This firm numbers among
its clients the banking house of
j. P. Morgan, but it's a safe bet to
assume that on Mr.. Polk's list of
clients there are as many poor per-
sons, who are receiving his services
gratis, as there are plutocrats
Copyright. 1924)