The New York herald., 1922-12-31
RICHARD WAsAeURN CHILD c9sl01s
ShOwed His
Diplomatic ability
at Marion in 1920
GHlar,S 8 swiN0

such absolutely unimportant things as
public opinion. Yet nobody ever
heard him complain that he was be-
ing misinterpreted and misJudged. He
took 1t with a quiet smile and went
on about his business. very special
and delicate business Of keeping the
Hon. Warren G. Harding from putting
his foot into 1t.
1t Is hardly necessary to remind any
reader that candidate for President
of the United States. and particularly
a candidate of the Republican party.
has more opportunities for putting his
No into trouble than almost any
other human being 1t Is possible to-
think of offhand Any unguarded
word, any well meant but fatal
phrase; some accidental rebulf to a
sensitive but powerful politician;, the
failure to remember the personal pc
culiarities Of useful supporter; the
inclusion within speech of topic
or q treatment OF topic which may
be repugnaiit to the feelings OF a par
ticular section or Of an influential
group within that section-these and
a thousand other little traps lie in
readiness and cunningly hidden for
the unwary feet OF a Presidential can
didate. Along with another extremely
able gentleman. the Hon George
Sutherland, now an Associate Justice
of the Supreme Court of the United
States, it was Child's special task to
steer the President along safe courses.
and this, along with Sutherland. he
did to the Queens taste.
/ do not suppose that Mr.. Harding
In those trying days Of the 1920 cam
paign ever made an important speech
or an important statement that was
not first submitted to Child or Suther-
land, or both. for opinion and ap-
proval. 1t was their business to keep
all ten fingers upon the pulse of public
opinion by means Of the telephone,
the telegraph, the mails and personal
conferences. so as to leave the candi-
date free for those personal contacts
so loved by the hero worshiping
American people and so weightless
with them when It comes TO voting.
The two anticipated annoying or dan
gerous situations and had solutions or
evasions all ready for the candidate
when such situations arose In the
vast mass of correspondence which
poured into Marion over the telegraph
wires and through the mails there was
much stun that was explosive. very
ticklish stuff TO deal with; and this
matter was sorted and analyzed and
used or denatured by the skillful in
telligences OF Child and Sutherland.
without revealing condolences Il is
impossible TO write some OF the
achievements that went 70 their credit
in this silent and invisible diplomacy.
Ii was just that. One saw little of
either man except at meal hours or
when Child stroiied hatless to tennis
for the sake OF exercise. Yet both did
n remarkable work and even the hard
boiled politicians Of the Republican
National Committee and OF its fringes
admitted that II was remarkable
Now this task obviously called for q
cool head, since II wouldn't have done
to have a man around who would rush
the candidate into situations. II called
10 courage, for often decisions had
to be made-simply had to be--that
forced tEe candidate to plunge be-
tween Scylla and Charybdis II called
for adroitness. since negotiations were
frequently under way that demanded
the finest touch. 1t called for a high
degree of loyalty and II called for a
very real sort of patriotism--not the
ranting sort. but the sort that swells
up silently In a mans heart. OBJ
viously Child possessed these qualities
In the diplomatic preparation which
the campaign gave TO him In little
Marion. for his work was good. Fifty
competent witnesses could be sum-
moncd to say how good Il was, but
ono need call VIII III. Hays alone.
After the smoke cleared away Hays
said one day that very few persons
on the q. O. y. STAFF had made more
valuable contribution to Harding's
success than Richard washburn Child.
lawyer and writer.
Child Was for Wood First:
Harding Was Advised to Get Him
This was all the more interesting
because Harding was a Presidential
stepchIld so far az Child was con-
ccrned. In the convention Child was
all for Leonard wood: had. indeed,
been one of the organizers of Wood a