New-York tribune., 1921-02-28
Harding g Faces
First Problem
I11 Panama Row
Situation May Compel Him
to Order Fleet to 18TH
mus Immediately After
He Assumes His Office
Recent Visit Helps Him
President-Elect Departs on
His Way to Washington
With Stop i'm Marion
From a sta0 cor,espmde,.s

President-elect Harding left this city
tonight for the White House, which
will be his home for at yeast four years
He is travelling d rouad about course
that VIII land him back on his front
porch IL Marion. Ohio, on Tuesday.
M Harding is IN sp,cn1ld spirits,
excellent health and complete tran
4ulility OF mind except for the war
clouds that are gathering over the
lsthmus OF Panama, The President
elect Is understood to believe that when
he moves into the Executive Mansion
there will be diplomatic founding
on the steps not unlike the Mexican
problem the TAFT Administration aban-
doned to Woodrow Wilson in 1912
Happily for the Prcsident-olcct, the
Panama Costa Rica dispute is one
with which he gained some familiarity
on the occasion Of his post-eection
visit to the Canal Zone and the 18TH
mian Republic. 1t is q situation which
he will be able to approach with an
accurate conception of the tender pa
trlotic a"nsibilities of the nation which
is partner Of the United States in the
ownership of the canal
Nine. Porras a Costa Rican
1t is an interesting tangle to Mr.
Harding, for while in Panama he
learned that Nine. Porras, wife of the
Panamanian President, is Costa
Rican. Her brother, Lieutenant Col
onel Castro, also a native OF Costa
Rica, was military aide to President
Porras and one of the half dozen o.
ficers who constituted the entire Pan
amanian "standng" army. There
were no privates, for the republic de.
modified its military strength in Ac-
cordance with a treaty with the United
States, which places the obligation of
protection on America.
Mr.. Harding is understood TO have a
keen realization of the danger chat the
United States may, by the methods en-
ployed to settle the dispute between
the two hostile minded little republics,
forfeit the good will of all Latin
America at time when it is desired
most.
There is consolation in the situation,
as the President-elect sees it, becau e
of the Cabinet that he will have to adj
wise him. He is frankly and out
spokenly proud of the men he has
selected to form his official family.
He says it is Cabinet of which all
the United States should be proud.
Edwin DENLY, who is to be his Secre-
tary of the Navy and whose first of
tclal act may be to send warships to
Central America. met Mr.. Harding for
the first time yesterday. He made
splendid impression on all he came in
contact with during his brief stay here.
Ford Rogers, one Of his "bunkies'' in
the Marine Corps, who few here from
Parls island yesterday to say Hello"
to the man who is soon to direct the
destinies of the sea soldiers, was a
nr1UGta q lei Io
was a corporal.
DENLY Real Marine
u slept next to him for while"
SAID Lieutenant Rogers, in telling about
the Secretary -designate's early days as
an enlisted man in the service. He is
q mighty big man and it was very hard
required by the hard boiled non-com's
who teach the recruits how to shoot.
"Ihey all say Denby was the gamest
individual they came in contact with.
DENLY was determined to be a real
marine. He used to dig frantically at
the sand to make a hollow in which to
lie, so there would not be quite so much
of his profile for a tough corporal to
kick at In hardening the men they
made them dig green oyster shells on
a mud beach. These were used for
oau pulidIug' Oenpy Dug oyster shells
in his V DIS and shoes uncomplain-
ingly and carried as many buckets of
The shells as did the younger, slenderer
rockies.
"Then on the Fourth of July the
chow served was pretty dull, beans and
slum. DENLY dug down into his pock-
cts and purchased real Fourth of July
meal for the entire battalion. Maybe
the men weren't for him after thatt
Later he lectured on Marine Corps
traditions to the men. There were all
sorts coming to the island, from mill
onaires to ex-convicts. There was one
bunch who came direct from Sing
Sing. Everybody was bit doubtful
about them, but they were real marines
when they went overseas. Most of them
we're killed, DENLY did a big piece of
work with his morale-making lectures"
The Harding party occupied two spe-
,ial cars on a regular train which left
mere at $3.50 p. m. The party will ar
rive in Marion Tuesday morning and
depart Wednesday for the capital, ar
irving there March third.
The President-ele hopes to complete
ais inaugural address while en- route to
Marion.