The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-27
MRS. HARDING

l1 YER since know that Mrs
 H, Harding, "The First Lady of
 the Land" was to oe the guest, with her distinguished husband, the President of tho United States of Birmingham. I have been picturing .n my mind this charming lady as-weIl as did.
 l was quite satisfied that my own idea of her personality was accurate. and then I indicted . letter to her which was charmingly answered by her secretary. Miss Laura Harlan.
 This led to further correspondence "a photograph of Mrs. Harding which she very graciously sent me- ana Miss Harlan wrote. saying that upon the occasion of Mrs. Harding's visit to Birmingham she would be quite pleased to see me.
 Yesterday-amid the glamor and the glare Of the occasion, the floating flags and the swsying. Hitting .ausic --I had the pleasure of meeting .he lovely woman who had been so re- sponsive to my requests. and all that had ever pictured her I found to be quite true. and more
 The governing characteristics of Mrs. Harding, I would say, are mod esty and simplicity; 1t was like meet ing an old friend yesterday and talk ing over just everyday subjects. for the moment I met her. when Com mander Holmes invited me into the presidential suite at the Tutwiler, she said:
 'Is this the newspaper woman with whom q rt.,l. ~lA spondenceT
 Tactfui. delightfui, 1t was the open sesame to an immediate friendship with tho tall. slender, gracious woman who has been the inspir1 lion In the life of tho President of the united States from the days when he was struggling young country pub fisher back wonder in Marion, Ohio, to the present day.
 Mrs. Harding is the First Lady of the Land with all of ita glamor and its elegance. but, first of all, she .s a woman. with old-fashioned ideas and old-fashioned ways. and while I went to talk to the Presidents wife, a l,dy of high degree. I remained to talk to very charming, delightful woman, sweet and genuine.
 Suavity and poise. a simple eie- gance and direct understanding of the real things which go to make up life are the dominant notes in the character of Mrs. Warren c. Harding, I would say.
 Mrs. Harding occupies a most unique position, perhaps more unique than that of the wife of any Presi- dent who has ever gone into inc highest office within the gift of the people of America, in that she Is the AA elected subsequent to the nineteenth amendment which enfranchised the women of our fair land.
 In this new and unique relation ship, she has been the object of very general and widespread personal in- lest.
 It may not be generally known, but Mrs. Harding Is fairly besieged with appeals from women for her assist anoe and influence in behalf of ,iat- ters and measures in which they are interested, but with her usual good sense and cieverness Mrs. Harding has uniformly taken the position that while she is the wife of the President of the United States. she is not to be regarded as the Presidents assistant, and She strongly emphasizes the fact that in matters of public policy the Prasidene must be left to make his own determinations. taking the po- sition that while the people elected her husband to be President they did not elect her to be the wife of the President.
 This was different when he was newspaper man. however, for thon she did her own bidding, and for is years she assisted her husband with, the Marion Star in every capacity on "a nnn <rA culation department to editorial writer.
 Which led me to ask Mrs. Harding about her experience in the news paper worlds
 Tt was very simple" said she quite