Evening star., 1921-09-08
PRESIDENT AVOIDS
RAINBOW CHASING
IN future HOPES
BY N. O. MESSENGER.

RAINBOW chasing cannot be said
to be characteristic of the Harding
administration. in the opinion Of pub
lie men who are following the trend
Of events. 1t is pointed out that the
administration, from the President
down. is not given to rose,eolored
forecasts of national and ,lnterna-
tional affairs coming up in fhe future.
but rather admonishes tVa cautious
view. SO that expectati9Hs may not be
dashed.
In fact. it is said. # there is any
criticism at all. it issthat the admin
istration rather leans backward in
this regard. in it's care to be con-
servatiye. 1t is recalled that Presi-
dent Harding warned the country
mistic about ta3 reduction. Things
did not look gobd at that time. Since
then there has tbeen a change for the
better, and the President, as shown
In his letter ITO Senator Mccormick
thinks that yeductions may be heav-
ler than was expected a while back.
Arms Conference Hopes.
Comment is heard upon the warn
ings issued from high sources against
ence7 on the Limitation of armaments.
The query has arisen whether the ap-
probation now existing of the linn
tied metes and bounds of actual ac-
complishments may not be too much
mjnimixed and whether more can ac-
tcally be brought to pass than now
seems probable.
President Harding has made it
known to some of his closest friends
that his heart is passionately. set
upon getting some real good to the
world and his own country out of the
coming conference. He is SO earnest
and intent upon it that his friends
think he may perhaps be afraid the
prospect may not be true-too good
to be true. And he does not want the
country to pin its hopes too high.
I Reports say that the Presidents
stock of the difficulties in the way,
and he wants to hear all the disturb
ing news first. He knows the possi-
bilities of good to be accomplished and
now wants to be fully apprised of the
obstacles likely to arise in reaching
the desired ends.
And so it is with domestic PROPOSE
tions of the sundry and various kinds
that are coming up from now on for
settlement. His attitude toward them
is said to be a reasonable optimism.
not blind credulity. He foresees the
difficulties. but is not dismayed and
above all things is anxious not to
ligible. Survey them and then make
plans to encompass them j. his policy
No Trace Of DiscouraEenent.
People who talk with the President
are conscious of a gravity in his de-
meanor when he discusses the future,
but they see never trace Of discour-
agement or thought of possibility of
absolute failure of the country to
bounded confidence in the men who
are working with him in the admin
istration and he counts heavily upon
the good judgment and practical
common sense of the Congress.
President Harding has met and
talked with representatives of every
class of people and all phases of in
dustrial and, economic life OF the
country in the past few months. He
has received, 1T is said, frst-hand
Of actual conditions
the country which place
him in a position to look far ahead
into the future and to visualize the
drift of the national life. ;
Men who come away from these
talks with the President say that
he has quick intuition and grasp. to-
gether with sympathetic spirit OF
divining the true status of affairs.
Congressmen are said to sense this
but courageous attitude
Of the President toward the big prob
lens, and to be Influenced by 1t, en-
couraged to renewed energy in the
undertaking of the settlements. Lead
Srs now in the city are looking for
ward to the reassembling Of Congress
with high hope of making swift and
material progress, though not prom
ising themselves nor the country to
work miracles.
They foresee a session Of hard work,
but with real constructive victories
at the end of it and the ground laid
for still more work and gain in the
session to begin in December.