Evening star., 1926-05-12
CAPITAL FRIENDLY,
MELLON DISCOVERS
Secretary of Treasury Was
Reluctant to Come, But
Enjoys Life Here.
By ROBERT T. SMALL.

This Capital City of Washington
seems to weave a wonderful spell
of fascination over the public men of
the Nation. When Andrew w. Mel
lon. Secretary of the Treasury, was
lifted out of the carefully guarded
Seclusion of his magnificent granite
and bronze and goid-lacQuered bank
ing house in Pittsburgh more than
five years ago and drafted" into his
present job by Warren G. Harding,
1t was freely predicted that this mod
ern Croesus would shrink from the
play of the spotlight and soon go
back to his Sequestered life in the
Smoky City.
Life in Washington. it was claimed.
was too much like the exploited pri.
vacy of the gold fish in its globe to
suit one of the retiring disposition
of Mr.. Mellon, who had been more
difficult to see in Pittsburgh than
any President of the United States
since. and including, George Wash
ington. Mr.. Mellon was extremely
shy and diffident when he came here.
He announced that he would not
make public speeches, for speaking
was not in his line. He would like
to have said that never, never would
be consent to see the newspaper
correspondents and reporters. But
he was told that was part of lis Job
Gritting his teeth he went through
his first interview. In a shorter time
than it takes to tell it. Mr.. Mellon
found that contact with outside
mortals was not so bad after ALL He
found that life in the Treasury was
different from life in the bank Peo-
pie here were not always asking for
something. In any event. they were
not asking for loans. All the Govern
ment money had been lent before
Mr.. Mellon arrived. His great task
has been arranging to collect it.
Soon Made Speech.
Pretty soon the unprecedented hap.
pened.. Mr.. Mellon made speech.
Then. miracle of miracles, he agreed
to face the microphone and talk over
the air. He liked it. Mr.. Mellon
also began TO ride about the purlieus
Of Washington, often unattended. He
found Washington was extremely
friendly.
Now there is no doubt Mr.. Mellon
likes the life Of the Capital. In a
modest way he likes the social as
we'll as the official life. He likes the
contact with his fellow cabinet mem-
bers He has been marvelously in
terested in the debt negotiations with
the foreign nations. The man OF mil
lions in Pittsburgh became the man
Of billions in Washington. The ne.
gotiations gave full play to the
financial genius of the man. Mr.. Mel
lon had been reluctant to come to
Washington. He had been so long
in the secluded security Of his own
institution he had a natural hesitancy
about becoming a figure in public
life. He dreaded the contacts which
today he loves. Mr.. Mellon thought,
Furthermore, that he was "too old"
to take up the burden Of the Treas
ury, with all its postwar problems
and difficulties Of refinancing. His
friends knew otherwise. They also
thought that service as head OF the
Treasury Department would be the
most appropriate way for the Pitts
burgh banker to wind up his long and
active career.
Worked Long Hours.
Mr.. Mellon was approaching his
birthday when he became
Secretary of the Treasury. Today he
is 70. At 81 he brought to Wash
ington official life a new standard OF
work. In the early days of his in
cumDenCy AIr. Melon OlleII was dt MS
desk before $50 in the morning. The
department clerks do not arrive until
9 O'Clock. Mr.. Mellon was just as
often at his desk at 7;30 in the eve
ming. The clerks quit on the dot OF
4:3O. The man thoroughly has en-
loved his job. It used to be said that
no man ever had a better time in
Washington than Theodore Roosevelt.
Perhaps it should have been said that
no one ever SO strenuously enjoyed
himself as T. r.
Andrew Mellon in his own quiet
way has had just as good time.
Washington proved a revelation to
him. Mr. Mellon will prove revela-
ton to his old friends and associates
in Pittsburgh. for he is expected soon
to lay down the portfolio in the Cool
idge cabinet and return home-possi-
bly, to more strenuous duties as head
of the Republican party in Pennsyl-
vania. But whether he takes up that
work or not, Mr.. Mellon Is not think
ing of retirement. He reminds one
very much of John Hays Hammond
II years old. as keen, as alert, as