Pueblo chieftain., 1921-12-04
BY MARK SULLIVAN

BY MARK SULLIVAN
Washington, D. c.. Dec. 3.-Mr. II.
G. Wells the other day spoke or reaa-
ing what Plutarch had said apou. the
Roman, Cato. 1 felt like asking him
wbv read Plutarch on Cato when you
can read Wells on Kato in the even
ing paper-not only read about hato'
but see him in the flesh and In ac-
ton; and not only see Kato in ACTON,
but see Hughes and Harding and ROOT
and Balfour and BRAND and the
others 1 suspect that an entireiy
reasonable argument could be mace
that these men are Just as able ana
Just as big in personality as any or
the old Romans were. CERTAIN ~
easily demonstrable that the AFFAIRS
these men are dealing with are decid-
edly more important than the affairs
the old Romans managed
What the men who meet every day
in tho white marble Pan-Amerlcah
building are doing is on a vastly larger
scale than anything the Romans had
to do 1t is on a larger scale In pro
portion as the civilized world of the
present is larger than the civiLzeo
world of nineteen hundred years ago
Not only is the scale larger by the
deeree in which the civilized world Is
larger 1t Is infinitely enlarged also
by the fact that SO much more OF the
world is able to read and follow pup
lie affairs with intelligence and con-
lively easy for one of those old Ro-
mans to come to the front in that
relatively small world of educated
mon In the Romna world probapiy
the number of persons who had intel
iieent understanding OF public affairs
was not larger than fairly small
American town For the rest, the
Roman empire consisted OF rev
millions of illterate dependents and
serfs- n must have been very mucr
easier process for q man of ability
and ambition to push himself to the
top of that world than It is for men
IKE Harding and Hughes and Baifour
and BRAND and Kato to push them
selves to the front of their respective
nations.
NV conversation with Wells was
jocuiar and took place in one of the
friendly contacts that are characters
tic of the informal surroundings of
the conference. Nevertheless. sus-
pect that a reasonably serious thesis
could be written on the theory that
what Is happening here before our
eyes is about as large as most OF the
things that constitute the high peaks
of history. Wells the reporter. In the
daily papers. 10 not less important
than Wells. the historian. In his Out
line of History" 1t ought to be pos
sibis for the reader who has some
Imagination to get As much exaltation
out of a two cent evening paper today
As out of any Of the volumes of Plut-
arch or Gibbon. assuming. of course.
that the reporters of these present
events have the ability to describe
them adequately.
For that matter. the reporters who
are here to describe the conference.
like the statesmen who participate In
It. are the elect of their particular |
world. The reporting of course can |
not be as good reading as Plutarch or
Gibbon. or a host OF minor historians. |
It is only after reflection and detach- |
ment and only the thoughtful care
that comes with leisure. that this
conference can be described adequate
" as a matter of history. ALL that
will come later. For the pAAsent. !
necessarily. the writing must be hur-
yied. But the fact remains that for
the purpose of reporting the confer
encs the men who arc here are like
the statesmen who compose II, the
most exalted of their generation
II II were not for the ovcrshadow- !
ing Importance of the conference ana
the clearly greater necessity OF re-
cording It as adequately az possible. |
there are a good many aspects Of do
mestic politics that would be recog-
nised as OF high Importance and call
ing for the most thorough under
standing on SSe part of the public ,
II II were NOT FOR the conference. the 1
debate In the Senate on the Newberry I
case w0sld have had the big head
ffnes in me daily papers Tho fail
ure OF congress TO write an adequate .
tax measure. in fulillmcnt of the
administrations program. would be
seen a. a political issue with con-
sequences OF sure importance: and
tho coming together of congress for
Its first regular session next Tuesday \
would be realized an event of tho /
highest public Interest
All of these things President Hard
O.. fos sok In nf q
days work. His unruffled serenity
II one of the most striking things that
appeal to those OF us who make tho
daily round of events here. II is no n
time. of course. 10 attempt measured
estimate OF Hsrding's personality
which should take account OF all Its
aspects: but there can be no doubt of
the fact that equanimity. and his per-
sonal armor against the Infection or
excitement, have much to do with the
success of the conference. and especi-
ally with the creation of the spirit and
atmosphere of It You get a sense OF
assurances and confidence from so
little an episode as going to one of
the conferences between the president
and the newspaper men. which arc
held after each cabinet meeting. and
finding that the two hour session OF
the cabinet. under the serenity of
Hnrdins's leadership, has handled
routine business. has not alluded to
me conference, ana mas carried on the
affairs of the government as II the
conference did not exist
bardfng's mind IL Hneulariy free
from the qualities that waste time and
brain matter. either IN worry about
the past. or apprehension about The
future. He does not fret and he has
the valuable quality of dividing the
business of the day Into compartments.
He waits until the matter in hand
demands decision. he makes tho decis-
ION. and he passes TO the next thing. !
In the mere prosaic quality OF capacity
for hard work, Harding Is extrsordi-
nary. In tho relation he has TO the