The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-13
GEORGE HOLMES
 DIES SUDDENLY
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 His by-line was 0 standard and usually page-one feature of scores of newspapers during the years he wrote politics from Washington. And he became newspaperman who interested other newspapermen, so that he had friends and admirers in city rooms and at telegraph desks wherever the INS wires ran. But none pleased him more than his following back home in Indiana. He was a Tippecanoe county boy, and proud of it. He enjoyed hell-for- leather politics, whether in Indiana or Washington, but he reserved a deep, abiding and frequently vocal objection to political hokunl. He could and did spot political bunk from remarkable distances.
 Unusual Place, Unusual Person
 While Holmes was building his reputation as 8 political writer he made for himself in Washington an unusual place as an unusual per- son. He was SO far from being a yes- man that he almost was @ no-man. He could not be defined as liberal or conservative but his last appear ance as round-table debater at the National Press club dipped deeply into the liberal-conservative prob lem last week.
 Holmes luncheon companions uili- formly condemned the nomination of Thomas R. Anlie, Wisconsin left winger, to the interstate commerce commission. Holmes, after bluntly consigning to oblivion Anlie's pre- scription for economic recovery, challenged all corners to dispute the propriety of the nomination.
 If Republicans and Democrats are going to have the I. 0. 0. repre- sentation," he said, then the left wingers should be represented, too. There are plenty of them.'
 His Home A Haven
 His home was a dropping-in haven as well as 8 center of formal enter tainment for scores of political and diplomatic personalities and his newspaper colleagues were regular at the Holmes table or in the living room for talk and tall glass around the fire.
 With his family and with those contacts, his associations in the Gridiron club, of which he was the 1888 president, and circle of Na- tional Press club friends largely made up his life, given the choice, himself, Holmes preferred to be host and to have his say in his own liv- ing room or library which he in- sisted were among the last open forums for talk anywhere. His the ory was that those who showed up at the Holmes flreside more than once or twice generally did SO be- cause they felt they could speak their minds and with full knowledge that others present, including the host, would speak theirs. It was fairly well established that they would take 1t as well as dish 1t out.
 Speak Their Minds
 He wanted his guests to speak out so all could hear If they would speak at all, and that applied to deeds as well as to words. One of the major political figures of the Hoover ad- ministration bumped into that one day. Long @ casual friend of the family, the stateman followed the custom of many others here of drop ping by the George and Mary Holmes at the cocktail hour once or twice a week. No invitations. Noth- ing formal. But people just dropped in, stayed around while and left except those who remained for pot luck dinner.
 The Hoover administration being dry one, the political guest began summoning Holmes on each appear ance to whispered conference in @ serving pantry. The host quickly re- alized that his guest merely sought the pantry to enjoy an unobserved drink. Holmes checked him at once explaining that he was welcome to the hospitality of the house but ii he had @ drink 1t would have to be with such other guests as might be under the roof at the time. Holmes always laughed about that and re- marked:
 "He never came back and I'm damned glad he didn't"
 He tremendously enjoyed the com- pany of men deep in political cur- rents whether he met them at golf or bridge or as reporter asking questions with full intent to print the answers. He golfed usually on the secluded fairways of Burning Tree. which probably is the nations most exclusive course and notable, too. for unexampled informality of golfing costume. There are no wom- en members.
 His Greatest Thrill
 But If one man dare read another's mind, the greatest collateral thrill George Holmes got from newspapers ing was from his membership, com- mittee charmanship and, finally, the presidency of the Gridiror club. Per- haps not even covering national conventions in five presidential years, or handling the death Of Pres ident Harding or scrambling to keeu