The Washington times., 1921-03-08
HARDING TELLS
! Chief HOBBY
Helping Down-and- Cutters He
Says at Press Club Party.
|, Meets GaIIi-Curci.

IN Headed by the President OF the
4 nited States, official and diplomatic
Washington turned out in full force
yesterday afternoon OF attend the
AHarding Hobby Party" of the Ma
tonal Press Club at Keiths' Theater.
WIVES GRAB TICKETS.
There. were also some newspaper
| men present, but most,,o ,of the men,
: bers had their tickets taken away
from them by their wives. out-of-
town relatives Ton the wife's side),
and Government officials. D.
tice Day. of the United States Su-
preme Court who read . decision"
, on hobbies" The entire audience con-
CURED In the opinion. which made 1t
2 victory for the plaintiffs. the Ma
tional Press Club.
He was followed by Sir Auckland
Geddes. the British ambassador. who
said that his hobby was hunting
wolves, which later turned out to be
rabbits. He was followed by the
worlds leading soprano, GAlli-Curci
who sang her hobby with a delightful
rendition Of the shadow Song" from
.Dinofah," and Home, Sweet Home"
GALLI.CURCI GETS OVATION.
The opera singer was accorded an
ovation by the audience, led by the
President and Mrs. Harding. After
her performance she was taken to the
Harding box and introduced to the
President and the First Lady"
Herbert Hoover was introduced as
"the new business office manager for
the publisher OF the United States of
America"
when Mr.. Frederick J. Haskin
3 called on me in my office and told
me l was to speak before the Press
Club on my hobby, I told him / had
no hobby except work." said Hoover.
'and he said that anyone with a hob
by like that is a rare bird in Wash
ington. and that / must come
He was followed by Maj. Gen. John
A. Lejune. commandant of the United
States Marine Corps.
President Harding was not sched-
uled for a hobby-ride. but he respond
ed to suggestion that as publisher
OF the United States of America, he
ought not to dodge an assignment"
''Of course" said the President.
after the ovation that greeted him
had died away. as a good newspaper
man 1 could not decline an assign
ment."
PRESIDENT TELLS HOBBY.
In a short talk the President de-
clared his favorite hobby was to help
the fellow who was down and out
'If there is somewhere a human
touch that awakens disappointment
, into hope." 10 said. "that 10 the finest
hobby in tho world. II in my new re-
sponsibility ] can. in understanding
and sympathy and in stern devotion
to country. find the touch that trans
forms the disappointments of yester-
day into The fruition' of tomorrow
then / shall have practiced the dear
est hobby. to me- In the world"
President Harding. In beginning his
brief Talk, which was filled with
phrases common to members Of the
craft, said:
IL always have had a reverent re-
gard for these people OF the press.
night than I ever had before In my
life. ] always knew that those who
make the newspapers and Journals Of
our land-I believe there is a distinc-
tion-were exceedingly bright and
alert. I have come to know now that
they know more than executives and
cabinets put together. From them I
have learned of things that I am do
ing, or am going to do, which / never
even knew myself"
HOW HE "PIED, PAGE.
President Harding demonstrated
his Fellowship in the craft by rclat-
ing q tale OF feverish editorial days,
in the era of flatbed cylinder presses,
when his eagerness to beat COM
petitor "to the street." led him to
send q form to the press without
locking 1t.
"At the first revolution Of the press
that form shot out on the floor" de-
clared the editor-President. amidst
tho laughter of the audience. "That
was the finest mess OF nj that ever
went into hell-box. Luckily. it dii
not delay the paper very much. II
was only the editorial page that we
had pied"
Avery C. Marks. jr., president OF
the club, presided.