Martinsburg journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1920-1977, 1921-09-29

Supreme Council, the Council OF
Ambassadors and the Reparations
Commission; he has achieved a
peaceful settlement OF the long
standing boundary dispute between
Panama and Costa RIGA, thereby ad
ding greatly, his proponents be.
lieve, to the prestige OF the United
states throughout Latin-America;
and he has taken a long stride IN
the direction Of greater autonomy
Tor the Dominican Republic an
the consequent withdrawal Of the
American forces of occupation.
May Act As Farley President
Other important matters are
still in the works" as Mr.. Hughes
himself likes to put it.
President Harding has stated that
Secretary Hughes will be chairman
Of the American delegation. If pre-
cedents are followed he will also be
president of the conference, for
that honor ordinarily is accorded to
the inviting nation This means
Secretary Hughes will preside at
the sessions OF the conference and,
by reason OF the initiative expected
OF him in his. capacity OF president
will have an important if not dom.
mating, influence over the gather
ing. What manner of man is it then
upon whose wisdom and judgment
so much depends?
In appearance Hughes is impress
sive. You might be ignorant of the
fact that he was twice Governor OF
a great State, a Supreme Court Jus
tice, and that for twenty-four hours
practically the whole world believ-
ed him to have been chosen Presi.
dent OF the United States, but you
would be entirely certain that YOU
were in the presence Of no ordin-
airy man.
This impression is due solely to
the strength Of his personality. for
Hughes has none of the trappines
OF greatness. Contrary to the belief
which until recently had wide prev.
alence. he is affable with a big good
natured smile which shows white.
even teeth. Desuite his fifty nine
years, Hughes gives the impression
OF great sertngth and vitality He
10 a big man, nearly six feet tall
ana weighing In the neighborhood
OF 100 pounds. His hair, which is
thinning IN front, Is gray, but the
general appearance, heightened bv
unusual mental and physical alert
ness, Is that OF a man Of early mid.
die age.
Since coming to manhood Hughes
has worn whiskers, and those bir.
suite adornments have been a
source of JOY. to cartoonists and
the cause Of some speculation
among his admirers.
A Pleasing Speaker
AS recently as the Presidential
campaign OF 1915 the notion pre.
vailed even among his associates
that Hughes was a distant. almost
rigid mlnd( and it is related with
some show Of authority that Hughes
lost California and the Presidency
because he refused to handshake os,
tentatiously with Hiram Johnson.
certain it is that for fifteen years
his enemies, of whom he has made
host in his long public career. dill
gently spread the famous "icicle
myth"
A friendly critic, writing Of
Hughes during the time he was on
the Supreme bench, said: "He is a
student with an ecclesiastical back
ground, a somewhat remote and ne
cnliar man. He has a cheerful phil
osophy Of life, but it is framed in
sombre setting"
Hughes himself has always mild
ly resented this insinuation. On
one occasion a group of reporters
showed him a magazine article in
which he was described as one who
betook himself to the Airs and
there in solitude "communed with
Kant. solid geometry and Lycur-
gus
II plead guilty. 10 knowing KANT