Putnam patriot., 1922-09-22
The Mirror of Washington

water. When tke mud is of the proper consistency the lads strip their cloth es from their backs and then line up to await the starting signal. With this. the two side begin a royal battle. peitinR each other with the messy substance they have manufactured and all the while crowds gather round about and Iauqh in loud guFaws
 There seems te be something inner ently grotesque and fascinating in the throwing of whether if be the mud of a coIlega students battle or the verbal mud of a clever author There is something that enthralls in seeing spotless surface besmirehed known men of the United States Hav- staining compound fattens out That is why The Mirrors of Washington" has been one Of the seasons best sell CTS. The anonymous author has as his target fourteen of the most widely nnown men of the United States. Hav- ing them lined up, he assails them, and when the attack is over, only three of these national figures are not sadly in need of a bath
 Tn discourses of about 1s pages each. the book characterizes the strengths and weaknesses. mostly the weaknesses. of the following men |. President Harding. ex-President Will son. Colonel Harvey, Charles Hughes. ! Col. House. Hoover, Cabot Lodge, Bernard Barueh. Elhu Root. Hiram Johnson, Philander Knox. Robert Lansing, Boies Penrose and Senator Borah.
 ! The essays or Harding and Wilson probably will cause most comment. Harding Is characterized as second rater, AS a mar who dislikes to exert | his mind, as man who selects as his companions only those who will give him complete mental relaxation. It IS only duty that causes him to associate with the higher intellects of Root and Hoover. Warren Harding Is just folks. A witty woman said of him, Main street has arrived at the White House The Average Man has risen up and by seven million majority elected an Average Man president. His defects were his virtues. He was chosen for what he wasn't rather than for what he Wa. the iHeonspieaous ness of his achievements The just folks level of hls mind his small town mans caution his standard ized Amerieansm which would enable a people who wanted for a season To do so Go take themselves politically for granted. The country was tired of the rather plain piritual living of Woodrow Wilson lt desired the man lin the White House to cause t no more moral ovefstrain than does the man you meet in the Pullman smoking eompartment..pE.t the man who writes the captions Tor the movies. And SO the front porch was transplanted Co Washington.
 Admirers of the chief executive will not be fattered with the vision of their hero that is reflected In this par ticular mirror It makes him look like the reflection from the curved surface of the dime museum funny-elass
 Mir. Wilson IS recognized as a sehol- ar. and a man of such ability that his greatness will ever be a subject for argument While no one will ever de bate whether or not Mir Harding is fit to be an immortal. Wilson will al- ways stand out His self-absorption was his downfall Sensitive, intro verted. self-eentered. unable to dis tinguish between principle and per sonality. he crashed. And yet Wilson is q man of whom one speaks in super lative> only he is either the greatest, ! or the worst
 Hughes s characterized as having the best mad in Washington But this s slight praise as one discovers by reading 0n. The writer finds little of the intellectual at the national city "Thc serate.s he records. .i< body iu which sou grow old waiting for dead men shoes lt Is a body com posed of provincial lawyers and mediocre politicians lf you enter young enough you may through pa- ticst waiting. eventually flower Cab ut Loirc has waited SO long that now that he has biossomed out. he i- a yer- table century plant But Mr Hughes Is bit abeea all of this He at least practical bnows his interests, and seeks ta obtain them
 Senator Lodge fares pItably The author finds that three things stand out n h.- political career of 34 years the Force all. the attempt to wreck England bq forcing free silver upon her, and tEe fight against the treaty. Boetar6er. charitabiy inclined. hAe forgotten the first i've lf fa- ture Al=taH4aas= are equally charitable thfy MI forge. the third And chen what faea left of winch t3 erlte abou. iadsef So we pass oa, and turn fo ar Hg
 Here the man whost 4aly hope 3f political immortality was to commit slitcd suicide. But he lacked the couraee er the vision Co fan upon hls own sword As a result the future Wlli think Httis 5f him. he will be mere name attaehed to certain mustX daeu- meuts filed deep in the dusty yaalia af
 few great libraries