Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-12-03
PRESENT WORLD
Continued from PAGE One)

bition and ability to push himself to
the top of the world than it ia for men
like Harding and Hughes and Baifour
and BRAND and kato to push them
selves to the front Ut their respective
nations.
My conversation with Wells was
jocular and took place in one of the
friendly contacts that are cnaractcr-
iStic of the informal surroundings or
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.
If it were not for the ovcrshadow
! ing Importance of the conference and
, the clearly greater necessity of record
| ing it as adequately as possible, there
are good 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. :
| All of these things President Hard
/! ing seems to take in the course of the
days work. His unruffied serenity is
| one of the most striking things that
/ appeal to those of US who make the
daily round of events here. 1t is not
i the time, Of course. to attempt meas
ured estimate of Harding's personali-
| ty, which should take account of all its
the fact that his equanimity and his
personal armor against the infection
| of excitement have much to do with
the success of the conference, and eS-
, pecially with the creation of the spirit
| and atmosphere of it. You get a sense
| Of assurance and confidence from 50
/ little an episode as going to one of the
conferences between the President and
the newspaper men which are held
! after each Cabinet meeting, ana finding
\ that in q hour session tho "a hinot
under the serenity of Hardings lead
! ership, has handled routine business,
has not alluded to the conference, and
has carried on the affairs of the Gov
eminent as if the conference did not
exist.
Hardings mind is singularly free
| from the handicaps that waste time
and brain matter, either in worry
about the past or apprehensions about
| the future. he docs not fret and he
has the valuable quality of dividing
the business of the day into compart-
ments. He waits until the matter In
hand demands decision; he makes the
decision. then passes on to the next
| thing. In the mere prosaic quality of
capacity for hard work. Harding is e.l-
| traordinary. In the relation he has to
! the conference. the giving of thought
| to that alone is strong mans work
| Aside from that and in addition to it
the preparation of his opening address
| for the meeting Of Congress next
/ Tuesday, would be fair weeks work
for man with average capacity for
concentrated cerebration. Harding
takes it all in an easy stride. These
serene. unhurricd. and uneXcited quail
ties of Hardngs personality are most
| certainly highly important part of
! the conference. All Washington feels
| them and takes them on by a kind of
! associative coloration. Probably it is
| also true that these qualities either
i now or in due course of time will IA
date throughout the country, and in
| a degree. throughout the world. and
will tend to create that will for
| reace" which Hughes speaks OF as the
essential ultimate goal of what is be-
| ing attempted.
Role Played by Elihu Root
! Harding and Hughes arc the most
| publicly conspicuous of the Americans
who have part in the conference. AT