Diario las Américas., 1958-05-25

Senator George Smathers ever de-
cides not to run for reelection, he
won't have any trouble getting a
job as a publicity man. If you want
to read a sample of his work, get a
copy of the. May issue of Retire
ment Life" His article, FLORIDA
Beckons. Senior Citizens is exec
llent. 1t would do credit to any
of Florida's hundreds of professio-
nal Chamber of Commerce writers.
His appeal is direct and pointed.
He doesn't talk in generalities. He
begins with an actual case history
of n "Anna N" who came to Flo
rida to retire when she was Sc.
The Senator tells her story. "Cri-
ppled with arthritis, she walked
feebly, with the aid of two canes.
She had been a building superin-
tendent in New York City in her
robust and even declining years,
Now, 20 years later, Anna walks,
dances, goes out on thrice-weekly
junkets with the Three Score and
Ten Club. She tossed those canes
away after her first winter in Mia
mi"
The Senator was careful to TO-
How the motto of the experienced
public relations man: Zone picture
is worth 10, 900 words" He illustra-
ties his article with 81 typical Flo
rida pictures. Nothing new here.
The ones We have. seer for years
Box Tower, orange groves, fishing,
boating, SWITCHBOARD, two of Mia
mi Beach, one of Daytona Beach,
the University, st Augustine, and
a couple of industrial plants. Still,
what more could you ask? That's
Florida.
In accepted public relations sty-
lie, Smathers changes his pace to be-
comes poetic. He writes: "Televi-
ton takes you to Florida frequen-
thy. You've seen pictures of alabas-
ter palaces, bathing beauties, oran-
&c trees, palms etching their
fronds into a placid MOON.
He speaks to the average man
who doesn't want to quit work for
ever, but who is looking for a
slower pace. He tells about a "Mr.
Tom H.. The Senator says, tom
H. moved to the middle of Florida
several years ago. He was going to
sit in the sun, fish some and rest,
for the first time in IS years. If
you were to walk up to Tom now
and ask him how he likes retire
ment in Lakeland, he'd snort and
say, Retire? Hech, l began living
when | came down here. Tom, IL
Ike 50 many Of his fellow senior
citizens, found the sun and bree-
yes, the warm, soft climate so sti-
mulating, he just couldn't sit
around.
"He went cut and got a part
time job with an airplane parts
plant. Time for fishing and boa
ting? He has plenty of that. And a
feeling Of accomplishment, to
boot.
Smathers cites the famous testi-
monial of Thomas Edison. "The
late Thomas A. Edison could shed
some light or this subject. He
built a home in Fort Myers, on the
southwest coast of Florida, and
lived there for nearly half a cen
ture before his death in 1881. The
famed inventor said his place was
as near Heaven as l ever want to
be-"
Retirement Life" is the official
publication of the National Asso-
citation of Retired Civil Employees.
Thousands of these folks already
have made their homes in Florida,
and we predict that after reading
Smathers' inviting article, many
more will join their friends in ,ur
state.
We have a suggestion to make
to Senator Smathers. You're pre-.
tty good as a press agent. You
would be doing q great service to
Florida if you would speed your
efforts. Get busy. Do more Of 1t.
Thanks.