The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-12-10

gious up.bringing had reminded me
that the first are sometimes last ana
the last first. had fallen into the taii
of the procession of my tellow-news-
paper men from their special room TO
the House of Representatives, and SO
I found myself with the overflow OF
the journalists, not with everything
under my chin, but very conveniently
seated on the floor Of the House pe
hind the Representatives. ana feeilns
much more like Congressman tnnn
] could otherwise have done. Away 10
the right were the members OF the
Cabinet-the British visitor always
has to remind himself that they can
not be either Representative or Sen
ators.
Senators Two by Two.
Presently the ninety-odd Senator'S
came I'm by the central door, TWO py
two, and were distributed upon the
seats in front of their hosts, the Hep-
resentatives. There was applause.
and / saw Sir Auckland Geddes with
that large bare smile of his and the
rest of the British delegation entering
from behind the chair, for the delega-
tons had also been invited to come
down from the unrealities OF the con
ference and had been assigned the
frontrow seats Other delegations fot
lowed and seated themselves.
At last came a hush and The clap.
ping of hands and the President en-
tered and went to his place, looking
extremely like a headmaster coming
IN to address the school assembly al
the beginning OF the term. He Is more
like George Washington in appear.
ance, / perceive, than any intervening
President.
He read his address in that effective
voice of his, which seems to get every
where without an effort. i listened
attentively to every sentence OF IL, al
though / knew that upstairs there
would be a printed copy OF 1t Tor me
us soon as the delivery was over. fet'
although I was listening closely, also
found / was thinking great deal
about this most potent gathering, Tor
rotent IL Is, which has been raised up
now TO a position Of quite cardinal I'M
portance in human affairs.
President Harding is on what are
nowadays for a President exception
ally good terms with Congress: he
means to keep 30. In his ADDRESS
he reiterated his point that even
the full constitutional powers OF the
President are too great and that ne
has no intention to use them. much
less to strain them. Nevertheless, or
even I'm consequence of that, he is
very manifestly the leader OF his
legislature. The atmosphere was
noncontentious. He was not like
party leader speaking to his sup
porters and the opposition. He was
much more like America soliloquizing.
His address was a statement OF In
tentions.
/ think the President feels that Of.
ficially he is not so much the elect
OF America as the voice of America,
and instead OF wanting TO make that
voice say characteristic and epoch
making things, he tries to get as
thought and will. What President
Harding says today America will do
tomorrow. One human and amusing
thing he did; he was careful to drag
in that much disputed word Of his
''normalcy'-which he has resolved
apparently shall Dust "normality"
from current English.
And from the point OF view OF those
who are concerned about the dark
troubles OF the world outside Amer
lea II was. / think, a very hopeful
address. It reinforced the impress
sion had already received Of Presi-
dent Harding as Of man feeling his
way carefully but steadily toward
great ends. Americas growing recog-
milton OF her Unacceptable relation
ship to world finance and trade"
came early, and his little lecture on