Evening star., 1938-01-16
By Lucy Salamanca.

DJ AuCy o~tUVGUHCUs
- TORMS have swirled about his
head. Barbed darts have fallen
through now and then to prick
and annoy. Criticism or praise
seem to make little or no impression
upon him. Critics, irritated by his
aloofneSs and unshakable calm, take
small comfort from the fact that in
the face Of friendly approval he ap-
pears equally noncommittal. Yet he
Is man Of answering conviction and
unremitting adherence to principle.
Without in the least desiring so to
be, he has played more vital vice
presidential role than any of his
predecessors, who may have fervently
desired distinction. BY the sheer force
OF personality he has found it i'm
possible to escape the political spot
light, yet his dearest desire is to avoid
1t. He is the most American" man
I have ever met. He is John Nance
Garner, Vice President Of the United
States.
This Is no exposition of political
principles; it is no expression of men,
tai attitudes. nor is it prognostica-
ton. 1t is no more than an intimate,
flrst-hand portrait of an unusually
refreshing, aresting and important
national figure, in whom general in
terest has been excited and about
whom very little that is not SUPPOSE
ton has ever been written. This has
been due to the fact that during his
entire vice presidential term of Office
John Garner has only permitted the
press to quote him officially on two
occasions-the first occasion was that
OF the Jackson day dinner in 1886, and
the second when he paid public tribute
to Senator Carter Glass on the Vir-
ginian's recent 8Oth birthday.
Many weeks ago expressed the de-
sire to record informally a day with
the Vice President. The idea waxed
and waned, but did not die. A few
days ago consent came. The picture
turns out to be 50 simple, so human,
80 completely neighborly and free from
the impressive official entanglements
that one might expect in connection
with so high post that it runs now, in
the reading, like the tale of any Mr..
Smith or Mr.. Robinson, who are SIM
pie, happy and busy men. Yet by its
very nature it should prove interesting
to that great colony of Americans who
have desired at one time or another
q Closeup of the Vice President of
the United States.
YOU cannot possibly write a story
of MIR. Garner without includ-
Ing Mrs. Garner. Their lives are so
antermingled, SO completely shared,
that to present the one without the
other Is like offering an incomplete
entity for consideration.
Several years ago I was sent to
interview Mrs Garner for a woman's
magazine. Mr.. Garner had Just be-
come Vice President OF the United
States. Mrs. Garner had just re-
turned from Texas and was busying
herself about grill and a coffee pot in
one OF the Offices Of the vice presi-
Dental suite.
This coffee may not be very fresh"
she said on that occasion, with
twinkle in her eye; "it's been here
since the last session." It wasn't But
that in no way marred the warm re-
membrance Of that interview. asked
Mrs. Garner at that time if she ex-
pected to continue as her husbands
secretary now that he occupied so
important position.
why certainly do," she told me,
with spirit. Il learned stenography
back in 1900 Just so I could be with
him and I've been his secretary since
1902. I don't see why should stop
now just because he's Vice President
Of the United States"
And, Of course. she didn't stop. AS
I spoke with her a day or two ago
that remembrance came to me across
the intervening years since our first
interview. "He couldn't have done
without her." flashed through my
mind, hearing her recount some of
the more human little events Of their
business day together. Quite sincerely
she remarked: "Of course there's that
period when Mr.. Garner is on the floor
Of the Senate that don't know any,
thing about. You see, I don't have
anything to do with that part of it."
So that, outside of those hours when
John Nance Garner presides over the
Senate, his wife is literally at his side,
relieving him Of thousand and one
annoyances, inconveniences, little
burdens of Office, sorting important
mail, bringing important matters to
his attention, keeping unimportant
ones out of his way. It is an extraor-
dinary partnership and q very striking
one.
MR.. GARNER has changed very lit
AVA tie since that afternoon several
years ago when saw him receiving
congratulations before the beautiful
white marble mantel in the vice presi-
Dental suite. That peculiar and dis
tinctive ruggedness that characterized
the man then characterizes him now.
His ruddy, pink face, framed In that
shock Of white hair and punctuated
by those astonishing white eyebrows,
draws the eye as irresistibly as it did
in the days when he was Speaker in
the House.
That Is. think, new assurance
about him, however. He possesses to-
day that confidence Of bearing and
address that results from the homage
Of colleagues and the safe possession