Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-21

Ol reoSTal JCptlOlucAss
This controversy runs rampant
through Washington. in view of the
really extraordinary number OF citizens
from lucrative employment and has in
Quoted into the relatively impoverished
Federal bureaucracy. A just conception
of the issues involved would doubtless
be one which would distinguish strongly
between certain of the new patriots"
and certain others OF them.
Unfamiliar with Politics.
There Is Mr.. Robert Patterson La
mont, for instance. He was extremely
reluctant to become Secretary Of Com
merce. He was making money, and big
money, in his business enterprises in
Chicago. He was wholly unfamiliar
with politics. He was giving a great
deal Of time. however, to local civic
good works, in which he was whole
heartedly interested. He thought. un.
doubleday, that these latter efforts Of
his were q suficient contribution by
him to the general welfare. He had no
aspirations toward national public fame
and he had perhaps even q horror OF
the political avenue to that fame.
The President was obliged to budget
him out of private life with verbal
dynamite. He was obliged to represent
the Secretaryship of Commerce to him
as O sort Of sacred StarS-and-StripeS
bugle-call and drum-roll. Psychology
cally, for Mr.. Lamont, acceptance was
certainly sacrifice.
On the other hand, it was a sacrifice
bringing with 1t high compensation.
Mr.. Lamont is the head of q mighty
department. He Is able to confer spa
cious benefits upon the whole American
business community and the whole
American Nation. He can get general
recognition and general gratitude for
those accomplishments. He sits. be-
sides, in the ofiicial family circle OF the
President. He has his opportunity to
affect the general collective policies of
his country. He has q broad and a
lofty station. The sacrifice which he
made In accepting it may well, perhaps,
be regarded as likely to be outweighed
In time by the satisfactions which ac-
company 1t.
Less Conspicuous Posts.
Very different, however, are the cases
of men like Mr.. Frederick A. Tilton.
Mr.. Earl D. Church, Mr.. Charles James
Rhoads and Mr.. Joseph Henry Scat
tergood.
How many readers will instantly name
the offices that those men are holding?
Not many. :.
How many foreign ambassadors and
ministers in washington will instantly,
because of their offices, invite those
men to dinner and proceed to make
much of them and to give them pleas
ant evenings of the sort that are the
recognized perquisites of cabinet men,
bers and Senators?
How many Senators will instantly
hale them, because of their Offices, into
the intimate familiarities and enter
tainments and excitements Of national
political society? Not many.
These four men, like many other men
summoned by President Hoover to
Washington out of prosperous and
eminent private life, are brought here
not to q new eminence, but to new
obscurity. They were much grander
and more acclaimed locally, back home.
than they ever, in the natural course
Of events, can be grand and acclaimed
In Washington.
What washington politician. or what
washington correspondent, cares ex-
tremely II Mr.. Tilton, as Third Assist
ant Postmaster General, should save
several million dollars a year to the
Post Once Department through bet
CCE Q1CCOVCIy anu 0loPldy "a UCIOW-CUc1
services, or through whatever else 1t is
that he does as superb and sublime
accountant?
How Much Recognition?
What Washington politician, or what
Washington correspondent, will be
stirred to raptures Of oratotical or tele-
graphic enthusiasm II and when Mr..
Church, as commissioner Of pensions.
gets payments out with more executive
prcnrptpeSS and with more actuarial
accuracy to the widows Of the veterans
Of the War of 1912?
Who VIII rise and cheer on the side
walks Of New York or In the corn1ields
Of Iowa, II and when Mr.. Rhoads and
Mr.. Scattergood, as commissioner and
assistant commissioner Of Indian affairs,
bring 1t about that some H0pis and some
Navajos and some Chippewas and
some Blackfeet and some Hunkpapas
are healthier and happier?
Echo answers: Forget 1t.
Mr.. Triton and Mr.. Church and Mr..
Rhoads and Mr.. Scattergood are losing
q lot Of money by being In public ONCE
instead Of in private business: but that
Is not their real "sacrtnce." Their real