Evening star., 1948-01-08

Columbus street, Alexandria, VI
recovery" spending, reporters asked
Mr.. Roosevelt:
whats new, Mr.. President?"
The President turned toward Mr..
Nicholson, who sat glum, homely,
brooding and aloof, and remarked:
Charley the Mixes too stingy to
buy q haircut" e..
Was Born in Nevada.
Retorted Mr.. Nicholson: TITS
about time some one around here
tried to economic"
Mr.. Nicholson wore rumpled
tweed suits, looked shaggy around
the head, kept about the most un-
tidy desk in Washington and played
the part of an easy-going somewhat
tired and bafded old man.
Actually, Mr.. Nicholson told every
one-except the President-that he
considered him a Moses" ip the
social economic political wilder
ness" as he called it.
Born in Virginia City, New, April
18, 1868, Mr.. Nicholson started his
newspaper career as a reporter Tor
the San Francisco Post at$7 week.
Later he worked for the Examiner
and the Call in San Francisco, the
Journal and the American in New
York, the Examiner and the Amer
lean in Chicago and as Washington
correspondent for the Chicago Her
aid and the old World. He was
chief Washington correspondent for
the World from 1917 to 1929.
{ He went to Cuba in 1896 for the
New York Journal to report the
insurrection. Spanish authorities,
fearing he was an agent for Pub
Usher William Randolph Hearst
whom they suspected of trying to
promote a Spanish american war,
put him in the old Moro Castle Jail
for 10 days. The paper changed
his assignment to one back home
and he caught the first boat leav-
ing after his release.
In 1929 the Democratic Party
was reeling under Hoover's thump-
ing victory over Al Smith the previ-
GUS November-and 100000 cam
paign debt. Jouett Shouse, general
director, and John j. Raskob,
financial supporter, feared there
never would be anything except
Republican administrations unless
the Democrats figured out some
thing.
Farley Gave Him Raise.
James A. Farley. budding Demo-
cratic national chairman, who later
raised Mr.. Michelsons pay to S25,-
900 year, told them that Mr.. Mich
elson could do more with mere
words than could be accomplished
with q lot of political tricks. He
was rated about the shrewdest, wit
tiest, wisest political commentator
in Washington. He knew political
organization and he had a pre-
Churchill knack Of the surprise
phrase and pre-Rooseyelt mastery
of the long period.
Mr.. Shouse hired him and Mr..
Raskob paid him. Mr.. Nicholson
shucked off his coat, parked pencil
behind an ear, hung horn-rimmed
spectacles on the end Of his nose,
dangled a cigarette from his lips
and turned on the heat.
He became the party's No. l ghost
writer. He turned out speeches and
press and radio comment for DEM
ocrats of all dimensions. He gave
spellbinders words and ideas.
Republicans knew when Mr.. Mi
chelson had written speech. They
were picking splinters out Of their
elephant for weeks after. Mr.. Hoover
had said that prohibition was "a
great social and economic expert
ment, noble in motive and far
reaching in purpose" And said that
In his administration there were
mine automobiles for each 10 FAM
lilies" and that "the slogan of prog
ress has changed from the full din
ner pail to the full garage"
Mr.. Nicholson cooked it into de-
pression-day slogans-"noble expe-
and two cars in every ga
rage" and constantly asked what
has become of those two chickens
In every pot"
Republicans Charged Smear"
He drummed the economic de-
preston into Hoover panic" and
never let the country forget Presi-
dent Hoover's assurance that pros
perity is just around the corner"
He called breadlines Republican
rugged individualism" and pinned
the Washington hunger marches"
on Hoover policy. Republicans COM
planned that he conducted a delib-
crate smear Hoover" campaign and
demanded that "the great rival
party get rid of him." But he didn't