Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-17
PRESENT MEDIOCRE SITUATION
In POLITICS HELD SAFEGUARD
Don Seitz, Celebrated American Newspaper Man.
Sees Colorless Personalities of Today az
Greater National Protection.

caused bit Of progress for the peo-
Pile, but which, on the contrary, has
always led the people into the sham
bles of war and trouble. We are very
fortunate to have mediocrity of our
politics.
Old Fashioned Frankness.
was chatting with an old-timer. I
knew he was an old-timer because he
was completely untouched by our age
Of Standardization. He radiated a
uniqueness of personality and force
fulness of individuality that told only
too plainly he did not belong to our
genera ton Of rotarians, boosters and
group achievers.
His hair stood up bristling on his
head. His clothes were strikingly
plain. Even his shoes seemed too
comfortable for style. But his face
was a study in self-reliance. He
whipped out his replies to my queries
with such degree of emancipat ton
from caution that it only heightened
the contrast of the age to which he
belonged and the age in which he was
]iving-belonging to an age when men
talked straight from the shoulder and
living in an age when publicity ex-
perts and specialists in the psychology
Of language and its delicate imports
stand guard over any honest and fear
less expression of opinion by leaders
of today and temper it judiciously to
fit in with prescribed policies.
This old-timer hadn't the slightest
regard for the alleged efficiency of an
oily, soothing manner in transacting
hfre
snapped, answers shot out as though
propelled from a gun; he looked you
every now and then straight in the
eye with a positiveness that made you
squirm uneasily and acted as If the
office was a jungle and he had a per-
feet right to be just natural.
Many decades ago Don SeitZ, the
son OF country minister, began his
mes work as printer at the age of
IA. Those were his happiest days be-
cause there was LESS load to carry"
ana when one begins to mount the
ladder OF success and begins to put up
ones load. it isn't easy to shake. And
young Seitz climbed. He became a
power In the editorial and business
affairs of the New York World. His
DOCKS. Horace Greeley and the
Dreadful Decade" have carved for
HAiA a sale HlCHe IN the nau OF Do
graphical and historical fame.
Few Great Problems.
I asked How do you account for
the fact that we haven't such great
leaders In politics today as we used
to have?"
Because" answered Mr.. Seitz,
there are not the problems today to
De solved that there used to be.
There Is no call for real leaders in
politics today. Our political states.
men have done their work. Politics
has become stabilized. In the early
days OF our country's formation we
had to chart our Governments
course. A young institution calls for
aggressive leaders. When the in.
stitution grows up 1t becomes estab.
iished and settled. 1t runs itself. The
great problems of formation and
growth have been settled. That is
way our politics today are tame. And
that 10 why the brains OF the Nation
are going into business and science.
There are still lots of problems to be
settled In those fields.
You PEE. legislation crystallizes as
TINS g06s on. Think Of how badly
Eoverned New York used to be and
Continued on Third Faee d lzsss