Evening star., 1924-11-05
FLO W E r S
For the Living
Mark Sullivan
By JULIAN STREET.

Mark Sullivan Is one OF those for
tunate persons who from childhood
knew what career he wished to fol-
low. At the age Of 12 he sent his
first item to a local newspaper, and at
Is he was editor and half owner of a
paper in a small Pennsylvania town.
Later he graduated at Harvard Col
lege and the Harvard Law School and
got into the big league" by way of
the Boston Transcript, the Ladies'
Home Journal under Edward Box
McClure's Magazine under S. S. Nc
Clure, and Golfers Weekly.
When I think of Mark Sullivan, my
mind jumps back dozen years to the
time when he was editor of Golfers
and was one of his contributors, and
l never recall that relationship with
out feeling, simultaneously, a glow
Of admiration and affection for him.
Nor Is that feeling in any way quail
fed. There Is nothing l think about
him which, II put into words, would
begin with a Yes, but"
His qualities as an editor were such
as to bring out the best in those who
wrote Tor him. Independent and
fearless, he believed in the journalism
or opinion; writer's whose opinions he
considered reliable were given a free
hand; he expected them to be accu-
rate and just, and II they were accu-
rate and just, they could be sure of
his support, even when their express
slons on controversial subjects
brought severe criticism upon them
upon him. and upon the paper l
never knew Mark Sullivan to back
down before the counting house or
the subscription list He had, fur
thermore, the gift for encouraging
yI-h F1- y
OF praise which was peculiarly stimu-
lating because it was judicious. And
the fact that his praise was judicious
was due, of course. to the fine critical
quality of his mind. But though his
mind is critical, it is not carping. He
is one of the most understanding,
generous-hearted men l have ever
known, and is as free from prejudice
as any one have ever known. In
deed. I have wondered whether any
human being can be actually as free
from prejudice as Mark Sullivan
seems TO be.
He has the friendship and respect
OF prominent men all over the world,
and particularly among journ alists.
politicians and statesmen his aS-
quaintance is enormous. His friends
are of various types. One of my
great debts to him is that through
him 1 came to know Roosevelt, to
whom he was very close, and in re-
cent years, when 1 go to Washington,
l find him visiting among the public
men who are his neighbors or enter
tanning literary men and their fam
lilies, who are forever coming to the
Capital.
Mark Sullivan's political CORE
spondence, syndicated in many news
papers throughout the land. and his
articles on political conditions pub
! lished in the Worlds Work Magazine
have given him an enormous follow
ing. and it is precisely the fairness
and the balanced Judgment which 1
have mentioned that cause him to be
spoken of as one of the leading po-
litical commentators Of the country,
and TO be followed alike by Eepub-
licans and Democrats.
His political prophecies have been
extraordinarily accurate. In the last
election he exhibited an amazing
power OF divination, and he is widely
credited with being the original
Davis-for-President man, having ad-
vocated the Davis nomination six
years ago. This is a matter of record.
Besides his regular newspaper and
magazine work, he is now engaged in
writing four-volume history Of the
United States for the quarter century
from 1900 10 1926. No man in the
country is better qualified for such an
undertaking. Sullivan has lived con-
tinually in the midst of the Nations
important activities, has known the
leading figures Of the country, has
worked with the authors and artists,
and writes with crystalline lucidity.
My knowledge of his intellectual
qualities, his equipment for his task
and. the manner in which he is at
-;ue m
the field of literary prophecy. I pre-
dict that Mark Suliivan's history will
be placed among the most valuable
standard works of our time
Copyright. 1924