Evening star., 1938-05-11
President Accepts
Loss of Services
With Regret.
WILL LEAVE CITY
ON SEPTEMBER l
Commissioner Becomes
Home Fire Insurance
Co. Executive.

District Commissioner George E.
Allen rendered his resignation to
President Roosevelt today to become
effective next September /.
Mr. Allen gave as his reason for re-
signing his desire to accept the vice
presidency of the Home Fire Insur-
ance Co. Of New York City
He presented the resignation to the
President during visit to the White
House. Mr.. Roosevelt accepted it with
reluctance and took occasion to thank
the Commissioner for the public serv-
ice he has performed and to con-
gratulate him on his work as a mem
Der of the Board of Commissioners.
3. The White House made public Com
missioner Aliens brief letter to Mr..
Roosevelt along with the Presidents
letter Of acceptance. in which he ad-
dressed the Commissioner as Dear
George"
Letter Of Resignation.
Mr.. Aliens letter of resignation,
dated May IL, follows:
My Dear Mr.. President: 1t is with
reluctance that tender my resigna-
ton as Commissioner for the District
OF Columbia. I have greatly enjoyed
serving you and the people of the
Capital of the Nation. Ny many as
signments and duties during this
period have brought me much hap
piness.
Il am resigning to re-enter private
business. My resignation is prompted
by purely personal reasons. which
am sure you will understand. Natur-
ally I am desirous of taking up nv
new duties early as practicable and
wish, if possible, to leave my present
post on or about September /.
May take this opportunity to
thank you personally for the many
gracious considerations you have ex-
tended me. Most respectfully and
sincerely. GEORGE E. ALLEN"
President Sends Reply.
President Roosevelt's reply follows
Dear George: With very great re-
luctance 1 accept your resignation as
Commissioner of the District of Colum-
bia, effective September /, 1898. Al
though I regret exceedingly that you
are leaving the public service, I realize
your desire to return to private busi-
ness and can understand also the per-
sonal reasons which make the decision
on your part more or less imperative.
But I cannot allow you to resign
from a position to which I appointed
you during the first year of my ad-
mlnlstration without assuring you of
my deep appreciation of the work you
have done. You have been an able,
efficient and faithful public servant.
There is another service. which you
have rendered. of which in an especial
way I desire to express my personal
thanks and appreciation. refer to
your devoted labors in working for
the success of the Birthday Parties, in
aid for sufferers from infantile par
alysis. This is cause very dear to my
heart and for your unremitting Coop
Grafton I am most grateful / am ap-
preciative, also, of your willingness. so
generously pledged, to continue your
efforts in this splendid work.
Il wish you the fullest measure of
success in the new work which beck
ons you. Very sincerely yours.
FRANKLIN d. ROOSEVELT"
Request Was Surprise.
Probably few men in Washington
have a wider circle of personal friends
than Commissioner Allen. A Mis-
sissippian who has been a resident of
Washington for number of years, he
Is highly thought of by members of
various civic bodies and public officials.
There was no indication at the
White House that a successor to
Commissioner Allen would be named
In the immediate future The Com
mSsioner's request to re-enter private
business came as surprise to most of
his friends. Therefore, the President
has had no time to give thought to
the appointment of someone to sue
ceed him.
Commissioner Allen, who once let
his beard grow, missed few baths
and lived in the breadline for a week
to study unemployment, always has
been good copy" for the press.
A former hotel man, the MissiSSipian
organized the hotel moguls behind Mr..
Roosevelt when he was managing the
Wardman properties-and before he
became Commissioner After gradual
ing In law from Cumberland Uni
versity, Lebanon, Tenn, he entered the
hotel business in Chicago.
Served Since 1898.
He always likes to tell good joke,
particularly if the yarn makes him the
goat. He likes to tell about playing
football urith Curnhor1onA TT uha,, IL