The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-11-13

A Turning to Governor Henry Hor- ner, the President remarked:
 "1've known Dan for many years, but this 10 the first time | ever heard hO came from your state. Matter oe fact, now that I think of it, I don't believe I know anything about hlm per- sonally, except that he is one of the very ablest and most modest men In the government service"
 The Presidents observation summed up the career and char acter of Daniel Wafena Bell, acting director of the budget.
 Of oil the key executives in the National Capital he Is the least known and the most sincerely self- etfaeing. For his office this Is Q distinct innovation. Under his predecessors the budget was on Incidental while they paraded their colorful personalities and antics before the public.
 General Charles c. C'frell-An'. MarlA'O Dawes held the llme- light with his snAppy Wlsecracks and turbulent displays of tem- per. General Herbert M. (''Econ- Omy") Lord made news with hls demands that government clerks save paper clips and scratch paper. Lewis Douglas st0rmed the front pages with Clamor for Q balanced budget. But under Bell this tradition has been reversed.
 The budget Is the big story while the man behind 1t has kept himself assiduously In the back ground.
 There isn't 0 newspaper man in Washington who can truthfully say that he over obtained e state- ment for publication fropl Bell, Friendly and accessible, Bell will extend every assistance in supply- ing factuAl information. But when 1t comes to personal publicity he shrinks aS from the plague.
 Perfect Career Man
 Bell is the first career man to head the Budget Bureau, Els is also the finest type of this class of public servants.
 In the government employ since 1911, he has risen strictly through merit and devotion to his Job from Q S700-a-year Treasury clerk Co his present high post. Roosevelt has Tee pcatcdly offered him . full ap- p0lntment as budget director, but Bell has preferred to retain his Civil Service status. Hence his title, acting director of the budget. When ho retlres from thls office he will revert Co hls permanent rank of Commissions or of Accounts and Deposits, . Civil Service position.
 Bell was 20 years old when no came to Washington. Born on e farm in 1891, he took secre- tArial course at e Quincy, H., business school, obtained e treas ury clerkship by heading c list of competitors in Q Civil Service ex- animation. Az c young govern- ment employe, he studied low ct night and was admitted to the District of Columbia bar. He has never practiced law, however.
 Tho only break in Bells 20 years of Treasury service was dur- Ing tho World war.
 Upon the entrance of tho U. s. Into tho conflict he sought to enlist, but Secretary McAdoo re- fused to allow him to go, insist- ing that his experience and ex- ceptional talents were needed in the department. Bell thereupon resigned, joined Q tank unit and was sent abroad to serve six months. Immediately following the Armistice the Treasury summoned him back and made him chief bookkeeper of the Division of Accounts and Deposits.
 Statistical Wizard
 Tn this position he had charge of keeping the records of the vast sums shelled out by the U. s. to the Allies during and af- ter the war.
 It was a brain-wracklng job, but Bell met the test without fuss or bother. He would as- tOund his superlors by reciting from memory the most intricate and complicated statistics. Dur ing the war-dcbt settlement ne- g0tlations, the hate Secretary Mellon kept Bell constantly by hls side.
 This remarkable ability to iiiem- orize complex figures is now be- ing used by Bell to keep tabs on the operations of the $2,000,000 GOO stabilization fund created when the dollar was devaluated.
 Bell is one of three persons who ts-l-u---s~--~-~-----~----