The Washington herald., 1921-03-04
G0.P.N POWER
AFTER 96 MONTHS
DEMOCRATIC RULE
Takes Oath of Office and
Delivers Address From
Capitol at Noon. e
STERN SIMPLICITY
MARKS OCCASION
Mr.. Wilson's Condition
Makes His Part in Ar
rangement Uncertain.

At noon today the strong hands
OF Warren Gamaliel Harding will
take over the reins of a great gov
ernment from other hands grown
weak with gripping them Tor eight
years.
Democracy will step down from
90 months Of governance of which
one-haif have been as great an or.
deal as ever fell to the lot of
American officisldom. Republican,
ism will ascend to a place Of domi-
nance fraught with problems
evolved from the war and problems
looming in the immediate future
which will call for the uttermost
effort on the part of the new mas
tiers.
BusfseSs-Ilke Transfer.
Perhaps il was with such thoughts
as these in mind that the man who
will be President in a few hour.
fro m now dictated a more than JEFF
fersonian simplicity. a CromweIIian
severity, for his Washington insu-
gursl Perhaps IL was more than
ANYTHING else a piece OF homage TO
woodrow Wilson. the predecessor.
who wore himself out in the na-
tons service.
At any rate. Mr.. Harding has bis
oeslre. And Washington has for
hA
which were the first reaction when
the great ouadrennisl celebration
was ordered reduced TO q business
ike transfer of ONCE. IL has made
ready TO celebrate. not In the oIden
style With blare Of trumpet endless
pageant Of Uniform. hilarious merri-
rent and sufocating crewds. butNaS
men celebrate a solemn rituak -
without press or hurry. 9
Al this'time four years ago, Union
station was a scene Of frenzy wherf
clAshinG bands, roaring thousandss'
and genetal confusion characterized
the great influx Of inaugural spec-
tators Of a Roman holiday. Today.
there are throngs arriving but they
are hsndfuls in comparison TO the
legions that forged through the
choked exit gates in 1917
The centralized railway depot Is
the pulse of movement into and out
of Washington. And the pulse beats
with little hurry this morning as
il did last night. There are surely
less than 10000 visitors for tho
Harding ceremonies whore there
were well over 100000 for the sec
cnd Wilson affair, not counting tho
more than 10000 soldieTy taking
part in the inaugural parade.
Little ConEestIou.
The only real congestion at the
terminal occurred shortly after Il
o'clock yesterday afternoon when
the President-clect and Mrs Hard
ing arrived from Marion. Ohio, ~,
he met by Vice Prcsident-eiect and
Mrs Coolidge and cheered vocifer-
ously as they departed for their
suites in the New willard
Washington will see little psgsn-
try today. The Harding Wilson en-
tourage will roll down the Avenue
with only a handful Of cavalrymeu
from the Third Regiment at Fort
Myer and a mounted police and
Secret Service detail to augment ths
official party. After the oath is al
ninistered on the east portico Of
the Capitol. there will be less 20 see.
The Harding and Wilson ways part:
the latter to repair straightuay 70
his new home at 234O S street north
west, and the former to seek seclu-
sion in the White House. Then
Quietness viii wrap the two lead
ing actors in the grave play through
the evening and night The peo-
pie will content themselves with
three big Ievees and innumerable
smaller celebrations.
No Celebration on Way.
There will be no hreworks. liter
ally or fguratively. The deeora-
tions consist of a lavish use of the
American flag on office blocks, gov
crnment buildings and at the Capt.
tol. At the latter place the festoons
OF red, white and blue will Zap
over platform more humble than
any reared on the east portico since
the days OF Abraham Lincoln.
OF the spiritual much may be read
into Warren Harding's inaugual: of
the hilarious, nothing. The whole
will be as the day. brisk. The
Weather Bureau promises clear
skies and a whipping northwest
wind: conditions typissl of early
March in the Capital
Undoubtedly. Pennsylvania ave-
nue. will cut it's way through q
great throng from the white House
straight to the Capitol. and on the
plaza and the streets beyond there
will be an assemblage comparable
with those OF olden inaugural days.
Just what Harding is going TO say;
just what Wilson Is going to do:
just what they will look like as
they ride down the great thorough
fare together; these subjects are OF
unduenchable curiosity not only to
the visitors, but to the resident pop
ulation as well. There are things
more momentous in this laying down
and taking up Of the nations bur-
dens than have obtained in any In
suguration in the memory Of living
men.
Test OF President.
President Wilson Is described as
displaying a grim determination"
fully 10 participate in the cero-
monies. and his physician. Rear. Ad-
miral Cary T. Grayson, Is reported
- ooSrINusp or rAos rye