Evening star., 1932-11-13

Y
/ Elizabeth. Ann and James, ir.
/ Louis McHcnry Home, bravetted col
onel on the political fields of Kentucky
by Gov. Ruby Laffoon, is generally re-
garded as the Col House of the Roose-
velt political organization. Where the
broad and genial Mr. Farley has worked
in the open as front man" and or
ganizer, Col. Howe remained in the
background, writing, telephoning, ad-
vising and scheming.
He is striking figure, with his thinly
covered. domed head. his furrowed brow
deep-set eyes. Nrinkled face and thin
body. His clothes, impressed and Ill
fitting. are cut in the mode of two
decades ago, and his necktie is usually
awry in his high, ob-olete collar. Oc-
casionally he has been seen to issue
from Gov Roosevelt's New York home
in East SiXty-ffth street with a cloth
cap on his head.
This habitual attire of the colonel,
however. bears none OF the somewhat
ludicrous aspect description would
convey. On the contrary, it fits in per-
fectly with his quiet. unassuming nature.
Modesty and self-effacement are writ
ten all over the colonel. Every motion
and gesture is made with slow deliber-
alton, which is translation of his con-
slant state of mind with regard to his
political generalship.
1T takes a long time" he once re-
marked, ito learn how to do things
with the smallest expenditure of energy.
and it is a valuable thing to know"
Col Howe never raises his voice in
conversation or in issuing an order to
his assistants Aside from his passion
ate devotion to Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Col. Howe has only one boss That is
his secretary, Miss Margaret Durant.
slight. rather quaint, freckled and red
headed She knows all OF the little
that Col Howe forgets, berates him
numerically if he does not take time
for lunch and is more efficient than
machine gun in her quiet fashion OF
protecting him from pestering people,
Col Howe was brought up and edu-
Gated in Saratoga Springs, N. Y, where
he attained a knowledge Of horse-racing
valuable to him later as newspaper
man. He first attracted attention by
entering book review competition Or
ganized by the New York Evening Jour-
nal. His review won him prize OF
s25 and 'he decided to become a jour-
nalist. James Gordon Benefits New
York Herald sent him to Albany as
political correspondent, and 1t was there
that Col Howe met Franklin D. Roose-
velt and made the first Of his long list
of daring prophecies.
THAT young fellow" he remarked to
his colleagues in 1910, when Mr.. RooSe-
welt. in his iron hat and dashing yellow
shoes. had just come from Dutchess
County as a State Senator, 'is presi-
Dental timber. I think I'll keep an
eye on him."
Became Roosevelt's Secretary.
He became private secretary and con-
fidential adviser to Mr.. Roosevelt.
When the latter ran for reelection to
the State Senate in 1912 he was stricken
with typhoid fever and Col. Howe con-
Quoted his campaign personally, win
ming by a decisive margin. The two
went together to the Democratic Ma
tional Convention of 1912, where Mr..
| Roosevelt lifted his voice for woodrow
Wilson and Col Howe listened and OBJ
served in silence.
The Roosevelt support OF President
Wilson was rewarded by the post of
Assistant Secretary of the Navy. and
Col Howe went to Washington as assist
ant to the Assistant Secretary. Here
he proved of immense service during
the war by obtaining valuable ship
ments of nitrate from Chile, through
1ilo CAbSl DI4o dAlN 4CoOQlCG.
When Mr.. Roosevelt was stricken with
| infantile paralysis in 1921, his wife and
| secretary joined in nursing him back to
health and rebuilding his political ca
reer. Mr.. Roosevelt returned to active
life. nominating Alfred E. Smith for
President in 1924 and 1923, and en-
ploying the phrase the Happy War
rior"
The resourceful colonel showed his
| talent again in the Roosevelt campaign
for the Governorship. when he circled
the State with talking picture record
| of one Of Mr.. Roosevelt's addresses.
The colonel reached new heights in the
recent Democratic presidential conven-
tion and subsequent campaign. He
directed the moves of the Roosevelt
forces at Chicago from an obscure hotel
room, where Senators and Representa-
tives ran errands for him. He devised
! the Roosevelt trip to Chicago by air.
| plane. He is credited with suggesting
! his candidates trip along the Atlantic
Coast by yawl, and he mapped out the
/ State-by-State plan Of campaign.
| After days work Col. Howe occa-
! sionally goes TO the theater, but more
usually merely has dinner with some
intimate friend. In that case he tele-
| phones favor1te restaurant in the aft
ernoon, reserves his table and orders
dinner with the discrimination of q
connoisseur, consulting directly with the
chef concerning the days delicacies
When he arrives at the restaurant
chances are that the only person in
the place who recognizes him is the
head waiter.
So little does Col. Howe appear in
the limeligft that a New York news
paper recently picked cut the picture
of man named Howe who was a dead
ringer for the late William Howard
Taft and published 1t.
Though an amusing conversational
ist and an affable companion, Col
Howe has made little political capital
Of those talents. He Is essentially a
planner and schemer. Those ends are
accomplished in silence. He has calico
Mr. Roosevelt Franklin" and the Pres.
ident-elect has called him Louis" fol
20 years.