Milford chronicle., 1934-08-03
A Kodak of Fletcher
BY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE
in EmpOria Gazette

~ A@ihboA IN odGENtt
When Henry Fletcher. the new
chairman of the Republican Nation
al Committee, breezed into Chicago
Thursday morning in his summer
weight suit. his say summer tie. his
natty cane and his appropriate
jaunty. light hat. he had 20 be intro
duced to all but six members of the
Republican national committee
When John Hamilton took his seat
the first of this week and became
Mr.. Fletcher's final rival for the
CEairmanship, Mr.. Hamilton had 10
be introduced to all but two mem-
bers of the national committee. Yet.
! Fletcher and Hamilton will have
charge of the Republican party con-
gressional campaign; a strange
new world. full Of strangers 4 plat
form sprinkled with strange ideas
that might nave germinated in the
brain of Tugwell-old age pensions.
unemployment insurance. leglsla-
tiOn to prevent future tragic de-
pressions," a demand for the distli-
button of wealth in the spread OF
prosperity" recalling Al
bert Beveridges slogan of 1912.
Pass prosperity around"-these
new issues and these new men made
the snappy entrance of Chairman
Fletcher. who came from the "Twen-
tieth Century Limited" to the COM
mittee meeting, seem the living
symbol of the bloodless revolution
which has been giving the Republi
can congressional reactionaries the
willies complicated with the heebie
jeebies.
Ladies and gents. meet Mr.. F'let-
cleI-slim. debGnair. blond gray
Lairtd. ruddy-skiuned, lanklimbed.
; fee; 81, entering his mid Tie six
tics. Slim and even lean is he, a
cavalryman un1." ire frs. Rn 'ss-
vet: Rough Rider who has PLAYED
a little polo. playrd n littts teHuis.
rl"!ed a little poker. never forget
tins his setting up exercises. al
Ways chaTy of his paunch, lookin,s
not upon the biscuit, the :alr the
gravy and the Dakeo potato NIen
thCy give color uh the plate. who
loves good food. guod fellows and
rCod drink-and has never taken
tJ" much of anv nf these for his
own physical and spiritual welfare
Suave. even more than suave - fa-
cile. charming; a competent. sin
cere smiler who has giggled him
self out of many a tight place: the
risible diplomat rather than the dig
nified Dumb Dora.
But don't be fooled. Beneath his |
almost airy exterior are two major |
virtues-a smooth, polished chrome |
steel loyalty and an ambition that |
has never been nicked or bent or
blunted by wealth that came to him
in his middle life. With all his saw
ior-faire. his aplomb. his nair-trig-
ger smile, he is sagaciOus. He
knows what it is all about. The real
ly astonishing thing about Henry
Fletcher is that with this felicity of
manner, this almost wanton delight
in giving pleasure he has learned in
some bitter school. somewhere,
back in his youth. that the way of
the double-crosser is hard. Most
men of his type have also the har-
lots vices. Fletcher has not. He is
true. dependable. has anchorage to
his character. The man who takes
him for handsome Harry will have
a sad awakening.
And what about his social view
point, his attitude toward the cos
hnx hA re |
Trangled his way through high
school and college more or less by
lard work; was a court stenograph-
n, which was the best he could do.
After he had been admitted to the
Dar; chucked the job. straddled a
lorse and went to Cuba with the
Rough Riders. He soldiered in the
until he was nearly 30,
anne back home and because he had
,een a stenographer and a lawyer
le got into the diplomatic service in
he sub-basement and climbed. All /
lis life he has been a climber. His
diplomatic career from his thirties
nto his forties and fifties is the
ecord of slow, hard, laborious
Use. But il also, shows tenacity.
back in his family tree.
our branches below the monkeys,
ne of his maternal grandmothers
lust have run away with bulldog
nd that blood has come cOursing
own into Fletcher's veins!
-
The natty mold of fashion and
lass of form who bowed suayely