The Washington herald., 1921-02-28
HARDuGS NOW
EN- ROUTE HOME
FROM FLORIDA
Plan N0-Stop Trip to Ma
rion as Courtesy to
Old Neighbors.
LAUDS CABINET
Believes He Has Chosen
Best Possible Com
bination.
by PHILIP KINGSLEY

EN- ROUTE TO MARION WITH
PRESIDENT ELECT HARDING,
Feb. 27.-President-elect and Mrs.
Harding left Florida tonight for the
North and the White House. He
can almost count the hours when he
and Mrs. Harding will enter their
spacious new home. This. of course.
Is the great goal that stiil seems
like dream to them. yet they close
this pre-Inauguration period with
a certain sense of regret. Mrs.
Harding, particularly, leaves this
pleasant view of the sea and rose
gardens and bright blue skies with
a feeling that what Is to come is
going to be difficult indeed.
They plan to go through to
Marion without stops. They prob
ably will stay with Dr. Harding, the
President-elect's father. during the
day and half in the nome town,
leaving Marion next Wednesday to
occupy the Presidential suite at the
New Willard in Washington until
after the inauguration. In Marion
Mr.. Harding will be presented with
silver plaque testimonial and will
deliver a last front porch address
from his old house. lie Is making
the trip to Marion purely out of
sentiment for his old neighbors.,
Thinks Cabinet n Good One.
Mr.. Harding closes this period in
splendid health and with his poise
and imperturbability hardly touched
by the grilling process which he
has been through. His Cabinet is
nearly completed and he thinks 1t
is a good one. There may be a
change or two made before the
morning of March 4, but Mr.. Hard
ing is not worrying obout the sit
nation. The country will have as
good q Cabinet as he could pos-
sfbiy construct, he thinks. He had
to work as a Republican commit
ted to appoint Republicans. He had
to consider the various groups and
factions in his party He had To
withstand intrigue and the plead
ing of friends and threats. He
learned some things that amazed
him about people he had trusted
He was also made sorrowful but
not bitter. There is little of rancor
in Harding's heart. He comes out
of this difficult time serenely. with
out having stirred open controver-
sizes and he insists, with a good
Cabinet to present to the country
At the same time he has the diplo-
matte posts in mind and while none
ho no InArifnlxv ala
pretty we'll settled in his own mind
and within a few days after he
takes office the big posts will be
filled. London, Berlin, Tokyo. Paris
presumably all are ready. Lloyd C.
Griscom is now said to be slated
for Tokyo. James NJ. Beck is said
to be figuring in the London list
of avaliabilities.
With immense patience Mr.. Hard
ing has sat and listened for five
months. Much of his time has been
spent in this way. just listening
All the theories, all the troubles
of the universe have been laid be-
fore him, neatly docketed, ready for
solution. He will have some little
job each day, such as settling the
tax problems, or deciding what to
do about naughty Cuba, or helping 6
to close the wounds of Europe, oI
dealing with a threatening storm
in railroads or steel.
stiIl Keeps Smiling.
The situation Is that a normal
man, blessed with the peculiar gift
of bringing men of opposite opin-
ions to agree on some line of action
is called upon to do the work of a
superman.
Mr.. Harding realizes that he must
coordinate the brains of his party
into constructive action or he will
fan. Despite this impending re-
sponsibility his emile has not worn
on. He appears today Drowned by
the sun, strong In carriage. His in
sistence on going at least eighteen
rounds on the links here every af-
ternoon has kept him In this trim
condition. He thinks he has done
his job we'll so far. That though
concessions had to be made, he has
brought out of the fierce heat of the
inside political game a Cabinet bet
tar than any the country has had
for many years.