The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-04-27
Barometer of Public Opinion
The New MIR. Hughes.

The New MIR hughes
Beyond question, the member OF tho cabinet
most talked about at Washington is Charles b..
Hughes. secretary of state. In fact there is a.
distinct Hughes wave, and remote indeed from
the ccnters Of power and OF gossip Is the place
IN official or social Washington that has not felt
the influence Of this wave
It Is the story OF two IIughcs-how ono has
supplantod the other in the popular mind.
The Hughes personality as 1t stands out to-
day. took official Washington complete by sur
prise. The unfailing smile the hearty hand
shake frankly caused astonshment. cold,
calculating austcrc. scf-centered man had been
expected at the state dcpartmet. Officials and
minor employees there had looked for a chill in
tho air as he approached, brusaueness OF
greeting as he entered, a sharp closing OF the
door with orders that none was to be tolerated
near the official sanctum unless summed to
appear.
And then came the revelation. A smile aud
a CHEEKY word Of greeting for everybody and
MIR Hughes was on the Job. Officials who
requested to drop In to see him came
away, their faces expressing strange mixture
OF uubenef and pleasure. There could be no
mistake Ia the identity of the man. for the
famous whiskers were there, although some
what more closely cropped than in tho old days
Yes, us Hughes, all right commented one
visitor; but what want to know Is, where's
tho faker who said he was an Iceberg
such gossip about Mr.. Hughes spread rapidly
from the executive departments to the cabinet
where members OF the senate and house Of
representatives have their quarters, and was
continued there. While the cabinet was I'm the
making some of the republican senator's had
done their best to induce President Harding
they Contended to get along with him. lie was
a man, they said who refused TO listen to ad
vice; stubborn cold man who recognized no
viewpoint other than his own | short, he was
classified troublemaker
The gossip of developments at the state de-
partment was of intense interest to these legis-
lators. At first they smiled cyncally, then in
vestlgated They came away impressed, with
! considerably lighter hearts than they had mad
since the appointment OF Mr.. Hughes was an
nounced The days went by and contact with
Mr. Hughes was frequent. Comment OF this
Kind was heard:
| First senator--I met MIR. Hughes today He
wore the broadest smile | ever saw We had a
| most enlightened chat.
Second Senator-Yes fine chap, should say
| Never met him before, but | had read "a lot
| about him. Say, who made up all that human
| icicle stuff?
The same experience is true OF the news
| paper correspondents at Washington, with the
| exception perhaps, OF those who had known
! Mr. Hughes well as governor OF New YORK.
The majority opinion was that the newspaper
! correspondents would have hard shedding
! when Mr.. Hughes became head OF the state de,
! partment, Bets made on the chances nj
| his continuing the daily conferences with the
! newspaper writer's the odds being counted as
"F41e old time of II wen have" a correspon-
! dent heard to say.
Able" said another in reply TO n remark by
! an advocate of the capacity OF Mr.. Hughes
sure he's able He's genius. III admit he's
| a genius, and | can prove II. Any Republican
who could work things so that he was beaten
| for the presidency in 1916 had to he. IL took
/ genius to accomplish that
! And then came Hughes. Announcement was
! made that the conferences would be hc~ twice
daily as usual. The hour arrived The cor
| respondents were gosspng about the news they
wouldn't get. Tho door OF the office OF the
! secretary OF state swung open and Mr. hughes
| fairly dashed into the arena,
lie wasn't simply smiling, for ii was smi'H
| 80 broad that II was really n laugh. Men nc
| knew among the correspondrn,s Were tree'ed
| with an affahiity that radiated good fellowship.
Mr., Hughes began to tax I.e wen, straight ,lii
| frankness and vigor, making II known when the
! confidential nature OF matters touched upon
forced him to withhold some OF the Facts IN
There was no side -stcppin5 no dols'ng Ana
! throughout the conference there was the warm
| est cordyity; frequently joking remark. one
! man asked him to define the meaning of a
word applied 10 an expression he had usel,
! Pm not "a human glossary" said Mr.. Hughes.
Another correspondent took up the conservS-
Vow that We have a new administration
Mr.. Hughes" ne said what's going 10 be the
| policy about Mexico"
we may have new administration
lint we've got the same old government" re
| pUcd MIR. Hughes He explained that he was
not then prepared to discuss the Mexican
| policies.
was made known, a prominent business man
said 10 him; -. -,-....-
| tain recent events with much interest, and
| am satisfied that we are safe internationally
| in your hands"
Mr. Hughes shook hands with the man and
! smiled,
| well" he replied II doing my best tc
write YOU out the best kind OF national in
! surauce policy"
The conferences with Secretary Hughes are
| now considered not only one Of the most i'm
I portant events OF the day by the correspondents
| hut also one OF the most enjoyable. There II
keen dsappontment when infrequently Mr..
Hughes finds II impossible TO appear for ono
! Of the conferences, which are held at stated
hours-ll a. and $3.50 y. each day.
II should be said that Mr.. Hughes friend,
way is not a great surprise to the corrospon
Nanfa uhn "A 4 IA n
He was tho same then Washington cor
respondents have found him, but the men whC
of W annMaInInh him rnI n VI