Evening star., 1944-04-28

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missioners. When the campaign OF
1912 arrived he was a local and Sec
tlonal power to be reckoned with.
After the Republican split of that
year which resulted in the defeat
of Theodore Roosevelt for the presi-
Dental nomination and the renomi-
nation of President Taft, the latter
asked Gel. Knox for his support.
But the young publisher told him
frankly that his primary loyalty was
to his old colonel of the Rough
Riders" who was campaigning on
the Bull Moose ticket. So Col.
Knox threw himself into the cam
paign In the West on Roosevelt,s
side, and saw him defeated.
The same year marked q radical
move in the colonel's personal life.
He left the Middle West to return
to the area of his birth, New Eng
land. He and Mr.. Muehling sold
out their Sault Ste. Marie paper for
$50 900 and founded the Manchester
IN. H. Leader, where Col. Knox
assumed the editorship. In the fol-
lowing year the partners were able
to buy out their opposition, the
Union.
In War for Second Time.
"Given a good, clean paper, hon
estly edited and efficiently dis
tributed," Col. Knox once said, .'suc-
cess follows as surely as night fol-
lows day"
He proved this dictum in New
Hampshire, where, as in Michigan,
his publishing venture fiourished.
But again his civilian career was
upset by war. With the entry of
the United States into the European
conflict in 1917, the future colonel
volunteered as a private and joined
the LIST Infantry of the New Hamp-
shire National Guard. Soon he was
selected for officers training and
sent to Madison Barracks, N. Y. He
went to France and commanded an
train. He saw service
in the st. Mihiel, Verdun and
Meuse-Argo battles.
February, 1919, found him a ma
jor, and he left che Army with a
lieutenant colonel's commission in
the Reserve Corps. He Immediately
set about organizing the American
Legion In New Hampshire, and was
elected the first State commander.
Politics now claimed his atten-
ton anew. At the Republican Ma
tional Convention Of 1920 he acted
as floor leader for Gen. Leonard
Wood, but saw his candidate de-
feated by Senator Harding. -Four
years later Col. Knox sought the
nomination for Cover
nor of Massachusetts,, but was de-
feated.
Became Hearst Executive.
Col. Knox's entry into the big
time" circuit Of American journal
ism came in 1927 when William
Randolph Hearst, observing his sue
cess as a publisher, employed him
to manage his Boston properties.
Only a year later he was given the
job Of general manager of the en-
tire Hearst chain of 27 newspapers
at a salary reported to be $50, 900
per year.
But his connection with Mr..
Hearst was severed in 1880 after a
difference over editorial policy, and
Col. Knox found an opportunity to
enter metropolitan journalism as an
independent force. With the finan-
cial cooperation Of Theodore T. Ell
lis. q Worcester, Mass, publisher
and industrialist, he bought the
Chicago Daily News, whose long ira
dition of editorial vigor in the Mid
west he was to continue.
Although Col. Knox found his
executive duties too heavy to con-
tinue the close contact with editorial
matter he had had on his smaller
he frequently wrote 'front.'
page editorials on matters of ma
tional Importance and thus became
q potent influence.
In the early days OF the adminis-
tration Of Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Col. Knox praised the New Deal'
for its "boldness and direct attacks
on national problems. But his
ardor was short lived. Soon he be-
gan vigorous criticism of the "radi-
cal policies" of the NRA such as
price fixing and blanket codes.
BY 1886 the Chicago publisher was
in frontal battle with the
White House, and was nominated in
the summer of that year. after
receiving Illinois support for the
as second man on the
ticket headed by ALI M
Landon of Kansas.
Beaten in Landslide.
Although he threw himself into
the campaign with his usual vigor,
he and Landon were showed under
by the great Roosevelt landslide of
1885. Increasingly, after that, Col
Knox turned his eyes toward for
eign affairs, and voiced frequent
Of the impending mael-
strom in Europe. It's actual out
break In 1899 turned him into q
for national defense, and,
as related. led him into the Roose-
velt cabinet.
The blow he long had feared fell
at Pearl Harbor on December 7,
1941. -Four days later the Secretary
was in Hawaii, seeing at first-hand
the damage done to ships there and
cabling President Roosevelt a report
which led to the dismissal from ac-
tive command of the heads of the
Army and Navy there.
The Secretary also issued a report
to the public which. though lacking
in detail for reasons of military
secrecy, proved substantially correct
when the full story of the tragedy
was told year later.
In his private life, Col. Knox, like
his early hero, Theodore Roosevelt
was disciple of the rugged life. He
could sail a boat, ski, skate, tobog-
gan, swim, play golf and ride. In
his latter years, he continued riding
after he was forced by advancing
age to give up other sports.
Was Interested in Boys.
In reading, the late Secretary's
tastes ran to biography and econom-
les.