The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-09-08
HARDING VISITS
WOUNDED MEN
WITHGEN. WOOD
Candidate Puts in Part of
Day at Fort Sheridan
Convalescent Hospital.
TALKS FROM CAR END
Senator Proves Splendid
Campaigner and Makes
Strong Impression.
MEETS FARMERS TO-DAY
Success of First Swing Out of
Marion May Keep Him
on Tour.
MEETS FARMERS TO-DAY

By a staff Correspondent Of THE suN AND NEW
York HERALp.
On BOARD SPECIAL TRAIN WITH SEN
AToR HARDING. DEERFIELD. ILL.,, Sept. T.
The pleasurable hour that Senator
Harding gave to the wounded soldier
boys Of the A. E. F.. this afternoon in
the great reconstruction hospital at
Fort Sheridan. near here, would have
been reason enough for his abandoning
the dull dignity of Marion had there
been none other.
It's no joke to lie In an army hos
pital for two years and more, as some
Of the men at Fort Sheridan have been
forced to do, fighting pain and fight
ing the monotony that Is worse than
pain. Any variation helps. but when
near President comes, the most in
ttresting figure in America, not even
excepting the actual President, for one
is coming as the other goes, the day
IS one to be ringed around with red
upon the calendar Of the manned.
The Senator came here after leaving
his special train at the Dearbotn street
station in Chicago at 1880 p NJ. as the
guest with Mrs. Harding, of Major Gen.
Leonard Wood, commander OF the new
Sixth Army Corps, whose headquarters
will be at Fort Sheridan. The man who
won the great prize and the man who
failed but who came so near to winning
spent the afternoon together in perfect
and sympathetic cordlality. After see-
ing Gen Woods attitude toward SEN
ator Harding thare Is no doubt OF the
warmth and sincerity of his support
Wood Is not a sulker and a better loser
never lived.
Wood shows Soldiers Patience.
He met Mr.. Harding at the train.
having waited an hour and half in the
dismal Dearborn street train shed, owing
to incorrect information given him by
railway officials. With the General
were Senator Harry S. New and Mrs.
New. The Indiana Senator, who is man
aging the Republican speakers bureau
in this campaign. and therefore can tell
Harding what to do when he feels like
it, went into the Harding private car
wearing the smile that hase helped to
make Indiana Republican and wearing
also his famous big, black. soft nat.
Hearst wears one like 1t and so docs Joe
Bailey of Texas,
In a few minutes the entire party was
swinging along the rotting boards o.
Dearborn street toward Gen. woods
olive drab limousine, which headed
string Of motor cars drawn up at the
curb. In a jiffy the motor car process
sion got under way, whisSirg through
crowd that scarcely had time to yip and
hitting the high road. This took Sena-
tor Harding and his party to Michigan
avenue, past the Blackstone and Con-
Rress hotels and other famous meeting
places Of Republican national conven-
tionA Probably Senator Harding never
will pass the Blackstone as long aa he
lives without a thrill, for It was In the
Blacistone that the leaders of the party
came to the decision that will make
him President of the United States.
Greeted by Mrs. wood.
On the procession rolled out the Lake
Shore Drive into Edgewater and
through scenery charming enough to
mako visitors to Chicago forget its
Mayor, into and through Evanston. past
Northwestern University and the homes
Of new milllonaIres and so to the great
quadrangle Of dirty yellow buildings and
railroad tracks that constitute Fort
Sheridan The fort has been Lowell
General Hospital in and since 1s great
war, caring for as many as 5000
wounded men. but at present 1t Is in
process of abandonment as hospital
and in the way Of being remade into
an up to date military post, headquar-
ters Of the Sixth Army Corps,
At Gen. Woods headquarters, one of
those old fashioned frame houses that
Uncle Sam used to build for his military
men, Mrs. Wood appeared to greet the
Senator and Mrs. Harding. She gave
them tea and the opportunity to remove
the all too friendly Cook county dust
that had settled upon faces and clothing,
and then both General and Mrs. Wood
together with Col. Gordon Johnson, who
used to command the Old Twelfth New
York In the border scare days. Senator
and Mrs. New and members Of the Har-
ding party and the Generals stan, vls-
tied the hospital wards.
There are 500 men under treatment
here now, all Of them men who were
desperately hurt in the fighting of Cha
teau- -Thierry, Belleau Wood, the Ar
Konne and the Hindenburg lire. None
except the worst cases were received
here.
II was not a cheerful inspection, nor
was It designed to be. There were too
many fne looking lads that lacked
leg or two legs. or who will go the rest
Of their lives without one arm or both,
-
(To.kiau,d IA qecoFd Pace