The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-22
IN STUFFY ROOM
 PRESIDENT-ELECT| IS
 RECEIVING COUNSEL
Present Days of Hard Work Soon to Be Followed By Long Outing In
 Florida
By ROBERT T. SMALL

Marion, O., December 21.-- (Special.) - Men of national affairs who have sat in the Ma rion conferences recently all say that Senator Harding. perhaps a bit dazed at first by the magnitude of his victory, is beginning to find himself and beginning also to feel the power of the high office he is soon to fill.
 Whether he would have it or not his friends and his callers from different sections of the country arc beginning to clothe him with the dignity of he presidency long before he assumes the authority of the chief executive. Men who formerly would slap Warren Harding" on the back are Inclined TOW to stand to one side and lift their hat as President elect Harding approaches.
 Men who came to Marion during the strenuous days of the campaign ord felt important in themselves beca Ise they knew Senator Harding needed their help have assumed an entirely different attitude toward him. They have grown d bit humble, perhaps, and feel. themselves in the presence of d man who has the power to give 1s- sistance rather than to receive 1t.
 BECOMING MORE TACITURN
 All of which is slowly but surely having slight but perceptibie psy- chological influence upon the President to be. However much he might wish to remain the same, Senator Harding is finding that the man in the shadow of the White House cannot do so In con sequence, he is growing more and more taciturn. He appears to surround him self with every safeguard of secrecy. He seems to stop, look and listen te- fore uttering a word in the presence of those not pledged to hold that word in the strictest terms. President elect Harding, furthermore, is showing a capacity for work these days which few of his associates believed he possessed. The senator has been regarded 1ere- tofore as what might be called an easy going" sort of a man, not entirely a stranger to the influence of procrls- tination. At the present time, however he is working under a full head of steam. His days are filled with work from breakfast to bedtime and there are no periods of rest or recreation. hr. Harding scarcely expects any rest rom the heavy duties which have fallen upon him, but he would like an hour CT i two of recreation.
 l Marion, however, is not the ideal winter resort by any means. The q err mometer has been lowering in .he twenties the last few days. and the nearby countryside is covered with snow, making motoring a dange ;ous and uncomfortable experience.
 SITS IN STUFFY ROOM
 Senator Harding sits for hours in a stuffy little conference room at the headquarters established in the home of George Christian, his secretary, t.nd directly next door to the famous front porch which has taken it's place in American history. The room is an af- fair about by 12 feet in size. its one window looks out on the side yard of the Harding home and through 1t he senator may be seen at almost any hour of the day in earnest consultation with the men who make up his long | list of callers. The list is growing longer as the holidays approach, for while Senator Harding has no par icu- lar plans of his own for the Christmas tide he does not want to interfere with the plans of others by bring them to (COntinued on Page Two)