Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-05

Welcomes Trip to Columbus
to Receive 32d Degree in
Masonic Order.
BY ROBERT +. SMALL.

MARION, Ohio, January s.-Senator
Warren Harding welcomed today the
Masonic ceremonial which took him
to Columbus to receive the unusuai
honor Of being elevated at once from
the third to the thirty second degree
of the order. It offered q break in
the party routine of work and con-
ference which has held him virtually
\ captive in his little private ONCE
ever since his return from Panama z
Al thai time the President-electw was
q picture Of vigorous health. his race
tanned by the southern sun ana ms
eyes sparkling. Today Senator hAfo.
ing is pale and tired looking ana
probably for the first time In nus nae
is showing traces OF irritaDieness.
For the past four weeks he has been
working at a pace never before at
tempted by him The strain Is, oeg1n-
ming to tell, and those who nave inc
senator's best interests at heart Will
welcome the day he leaves Marion ior
a respite in the south before taxing
up the duties Of the presidency.
Duties Already Heavy.
As a matter Of fact, however. these
duties are heavy upon him at the
present moment. His correspondence
is Of greater volume now PROBABLY
than it will be at any time, after he
reaches the White House A large
stafr of clerks and stenograpners is
required to handle the incoming and
outgoing mail. Senator Harding, en-
loving at first the novelty OF the SIT
nation. set to himself the task OF
answering most of the letters. ne
has tried to keep up this practice:
but it is daily grG;wins T. ~sre more net Iar for
the conferences of the best minds"
I believe Senator Harding would an
swer every single letter he receives.
He likes to give a personal tcuch
to his CORRESPONDENCE Ano 10 :.
assistants are compelled to relieve
him of SO much Of the work.
Even in the matter OF requests 1or
autographs Senator Harding Is oo-
durate and insists upon writing tne
Signatures himself. This statement
nav sound a bit off, but it is not
an unusual custom in our pubic ife
for great men to let some confidential
clerk do this work by clever mita-
ton. Such a surcease from tne i2oor
OF penmanship had been offered TO
senator Harding. but he insists there
shall be no "counterfeiting. He does
NOT consider the practice fair to those
earnest and admiring persons who
writ in for signature.
shows Lack Of Exercise.
Senator Harding in the past has
been accustomed to a great deal Of
outdoor exercise and recreation. ana
the close confinement of office work
the past month plainly shows its ef-
fects upon him His exercise con-
sists of scarcely more than walking
the few steps which separate his own
house from the Christian home, where
the executive Offices are established.
Once In the executive offices he does
not know a moments rest. 1t must
not be ina gined that all OF the sena :
tors conferences are being conducted
in person. The long-distance tele-
phone is forever finging at head
quarters. and the President-elect
spends a great deal of time at this
end of the wire
Harding Of brain fatigue as well az
| bodily WEAKNESS. No man in such
= short space of time has ever re-
ceived SO much advice as he. He is
| advice. OF course. has been asked. but
! a very great deal has been volun-
.eered. The senator is looking for
ward to the time when he can have a
! few days to himself in which to
digest ii all.
Conferences nave w1oeDe0.
Starting out to deal with the inter
national situation, the Marion confer
| ences have widened until they have
included virtually every subject under
/ the sun. Mr.. Harding has lent q
sympathetic air to all of his visitors,
no matter what their station in Hfe,
and he has sent all away feeling that
he will give particular attention to
| each one Of the various subjects they
have discussed with him.
IT found Senator Harding most SYM
/ pathetic." has been the report OF
every visitor. no matter what his
mission.
All Of this has required a great deal
! of tact and In many cases has in
yolyed remarkable display OF
patience. Senator Harding has q
| faculty somewhat rare in public men
| that Of attributing only the best o,
/ motives to those who come in con.
| tact with him.
lCenyrghtx IA2h1