Evening star., 1938-01-23

ideas are as refreshing as his phrase
ology. as. in fact, his whole engaging
personality. Informality and friendli-
ness seem to be the keynotes Of all he
says and does. A man who invariably
sits with his feet proped on imposing
mahogany desks. he refers to con-
gressional dignity" with his tongue in
his chek, talks without official inhi-
bitions and not only calls a spade q
spade but goes on pleasantly to de-
scribe 1t in detail. !
Barton had earned fame. OF course,
before he took leave from the New
York advertising agency he has headed
for lS years to become the congress
sional representative Of New Yorks
18th district. His talents for turn
ing phrase had been exercised
and appreciated in many fields, estab-
fishing his euphonious name as q
household word as far back as 1917,
when his terse editorials and Sermon
cites were first making their appear
ance in the newspapers and maga-
zines Of the country through syndicate
distribution.
Even before that, back to the day
he graduated from Amherst College
in 1908, he had been voted the man
most likely to succeed" by his class
mates. The distinction seemed to give
no promise Of materializing just at
the first. for Barton's first Job after
receiving his degree was that of time
keeper in Montana construction
camp. Following this occupational
flight. he returned to take over
magazine which soon Topped, in his
home town, Chicago. where his father
was Congregational preacher. Later,
Barton started out for New York and
a $25-a-week job on a religious maga-
zine. He had turned down an offer
to write advertising copy at $4,000 a
year for New York Arm with the re-
mark that not only was there not that
much money anywhere but that there
must be something wrong with anyone
who would offer it to him.
It was a year later, in 1909, that
Conde Mast invited young Barton to
joint the editorial and business staff
of Vogue. From there he went over
to Crowell Publishing Co.. where he
wrote advertising copy for the new
famous "Five-Foot Shelf that Col
liers was then promoting. j. P.
Knapp, who in those days operated
Sunday magazine that was syndicated
to newspapers. heard Of the assistant
general sales manager at Golfers who
was making his presence felt and lured
him over to his own publication, Every
Week, with an invitation Barton never
could resist-to pep things up"
PARTON took the magazine away
from the newspapers and put it
on the newsstands. It was while he
was engaged in this business activity
that he took . ding at the editorial
end Of the enterprise and began to
write his now famous editorials. When
Every Week folded up." in 1918.
Barton offered his services overseas.
Instead. he was asked to organize and
direct the campaign to raise $3.50, ,0O0.-
600 that was to be the war chest Of
SSNCh CIld4 lGhOAC OL6dulAdtiOAAo odle
ton had raised $202 2.00O, ,O00-the
largest fund ever 20 collected-when
that campaign closed. It was through
these activities that he met the men
who now are his partners in the New
York advertising agency.
The fact that he IL in Washington
today and not back Of the desk in his
New York ONCE indicates, Bruce Bar
ton believes. the changed attitude of
business men toward politics. Time
was, he admits, when his clients
would have interfered with his en-
trance into 30 Improbable and thank
less an enterprise IS legislating. But
this feeling, Barton declares, no longer
prevails among business men. "They
know now" he says. that If they
don't give more attention to public
business there will be no private
business to attend to-"
A week or two ago Barton himself
gave some advice to business men.
The occasion was the meeting Of the
Advertising Club Of Washington, here
in the Capital. He told the members
that business, In its turn, with gov
ernment, must move = long way
farther in the direction Of national
service" |
I'VE must b willing. - business
man." he declared. ITO sacrifice ~ we