The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-12-03
ROOT CHOOSES
RIGHT COURSE
ON FAR EAST
Smooths Out Discussions by
Leading Off With Points of
Agreement, Not of Contro-
versy-Noble Figure.
HARDING, HUGHES CALM
ny MARK SULLIVAN

what Plutarch had said about the Ro- !
why he read Plutarch on Cato when |
you can read Wells on Kato in the !
evening paper-not only about Kato, !
but see him in the flesh and in aC-
ton: and not only see kato in action. !
hut see Hughes and Harding and
Root and Balfour and BRAND and the 4.
others.
| suspect that an entirely reasonable !.
argument could be made that these /
men are just as able and just as big
in personality as any of the old Ro-
mans were Certain if is easily F.
demonstrable that the affairs of these
men are dealing with are decidedly /
more important than the affairs the
old Romans managed.
What the men who meet every day I
in the white marble Pan-American !
building are doing is on Il vastly larg /
or scale than anything the Romans
had to do. Ii is on a larger scale in !
proportion as the civilized world Of /
the present is larger than the civil /
ized world of nineteen hundred years
ago. Not only is the scale larger by
the degree in which the civilized
world is larger; it is infinitely en-
larged also by the fact that so much
more OF The world is able to read and
follow public affairs with intelligence
and conviction.
World Enlarged
It must have been comparatively
easy for one of those old Romans to
come to the front in that relatively
small world of educated men. In the
Roman world probably the number Of
persons who had intelligent under
standing Of public affairs was not
larger than a fairly small American
town For the rest. the Roman EN-
pire consisted of few millions of il
literate dependents and serfs. 1t must
have been a very much easier process
for a man of ability and ambition to-
push himself to the top of that world
than it is for men like Harding and
Hughes and Balfour and BRAND and
Kato 10 push themselves TO the front
of their respective nations
NV conversation with Wells was Joe
ular and took place in one OF the
friendly contacts that are Characters
tic of the informal surroundings Of the
conference.
important History
Nevertheless, | suspect that rea-
eonably 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 cf history.
Wells, the reporter, in the daily
papers. is not less important than
Wells, the historian. in his Outline OF
History" 1t ought to Ie possible for
he reader who has some imagination
10 get as much eNaltatiOn out OF two
cent evening paper today as out OF
any of the volumes of Plutarch or Glib
bon. assuming, OF course, that the re-
porters of these present events have
the ability TO describe them ade-
Quately.
For that matter. the reporters who
arc here to describe the conference,
like the statesmen who participate in
IL. are the elect of their particular
world The reporting of course can
rot be as good reading a. Plutarch or
Gibbon. or a host of minor historians
II is only after reflection and detach-
ment. and only with the thoughtful
care that comes with leisure that this
conference can be described adequate
IN as a matter of history. All that
viii come later. For the present, nee
cssarily the writing must be hurried.
Put the fact remains that for the pur-
pcse of reporting the conference the
men who are here are like the states
men who compose il. the most exalted
of their generation
Domestic Events
If il were not for the oyershadOw-
iug importance Of the conference and
The clearly greater necessity Of record
ing it as adequately as possible, there
are d goou many aspects of domestic
politics that would be recognized as OF
high Importance and calling for the
most thorough understanding on the
part of the public.
If If we're not for the conference,
the debate in the senate on the New
berry case would have had the big
headlines in the daily papers. The
failure of congress to write an ade-
quate tax measure. in fulfillment Of
the administration program. would
Re seen as a political issue with con
sequences of sure importance; aud the
coming together of congress for its
first regular session next Tuesday
would be realized as an event of the
highest public interest
All Of these things President Hard
ing seems to take in the course OF
the days work. His unrutfled seren
ity is one of the most striking things
hat appeal to those of us who make
ilt udliS FOuud OF events mere.
Harding Unruffled
II is no time, of course. to attempt
measured estimate of Harding's per
sonality which should take account OF
al its aspects; but there can be nc
doubt Of the fact that equanimity. and
his personal armor against the infec
tion of excitement, have much to DC
with the success of the conference
and especially with the creation OF
the spirit and atmosphere of it. You
get sense of assurance and conf
dence from so little an episode as go
ing to one of the conferences be
tween the president and the news
paDer men, which are held after each
cabinet meeting, and finding that the
two hour session of the cabinet, under
the serenity Of Harding's leadership
has handled routine business. has not
alluded to the conference, and has car
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