The New York herald., 1922-04-23
DCPEW,88,uKESWAY
gHE OLDWORLD WAGS
Another Birthday Finds Fa-
nous Man With Vision
Clear, Going Strong.
THINKS WORST is OVER
Farm Bloc Foe Of Prosper
lity-Beers and Wines to
Return-Old Age Easy.
BONUS is INSANE TALK
Floyd George Ablest Man in
World-New Conference to
Remap Europe.
BONUS is INSANE TALK

Americas indomitable optimist
rlauncey NJ Depew. sat yesterday at
sle desk Of the chairman OF the board
ri the New York Central Railroad, re-
tpiring. in the intervals Of an ordinary
business day. the felieitat;ons of the
k,yilized world over the oncoming Of
hss eighty eighth birthday which is to-
nay. Once again. as he greeted friends
II was his undismayed, unconquerable
cpnviction Of more good than bad in
human nature that flowed from his
READY conversation.
He spoke, this extraordinary man, OF
hnany men and many things as his
mind looked backward over the great
sweep Of years-of his youthful strug-
Ele 10 get ahead; Of his association
with the Nanderbilts and, with the old
Commodore, especially; Of Lincoln
lwhom he knew well. of how narrowly
skand luckily too) he missed becoming
zone of the great plutocrats Of the
Hines: of personages of Europe with
sk.hom he had talked sense and nom
sense: of rules of health and how long
life can be had if we are willing TO pay
price in self-denial. But, mainly. his
hlind turned to the future rather than
khe past-to what the world. and es-
noecially that part of the world he loves
best-is coming to after all the welter
I bf war and the bleak aftermath.
4 Not in years has Mr.. Depew presented
NJ more vigorous aspect He was as
/, sGfesh as a daisy after speaking for
tlialf an hour. and staying UP late at
s1hc Pilgrims dinner. Within little more
ethan a decade OF the century he surely
t.Apects to round out. there Is color in
1,ss cheeks and the briliancy of mental
sNfgor in his eye. His step is firm.
wyrhere il no slumping Of aged shoulders
As he sits back in his chair or rises
40 survey from the window the rail-
road stronghold over which he still
G,resides as president emeritus.
Improves ms Years Pass.
III Mr.. Depews voice is strong and con-
I Wetant of tone-no quavering there. His
1aealth seems. indeed. to improve as
: H1he years go BY, and the speculator
/ nv no would lay odds against the con-
illumination of a singular dream that
%AIr. Depew had only few nights ago
, ~ oud be a bold gambler.
4w Ii was a curious dream. The old
( war horse OF the Republican Party.
Svho has been among the makers of
~ayery Republican nominee for Presi-
dent since 1856, and who. with a forty
~1ninute speech. saw himself once more
@upon a Republican national convention
Grostrum holding 1900 persons under
! nthe spell of graceful speech. The year
1seemed TO be 1882 ten years from now,
I " hen Mr. Depew would be 9S. and the
nold familiar drama Of the greatest Of
~political performances sounded in his
~4ars and flashed before his kinding
Seye As surely as he looks forward TO
/. &to-morrow' sun. he expects 10 make
I rthat speech.
THE good old world is on the up
+. 2grade again" he said. II believe that
@rhe worst has passed for Europe and
/ rfor ourselves. 50 far as peace and
! Sbetter human understanding are con-
kcerned. the Washington conference was
( sthe turning point. II was the greatest
! Msingle event ! have ever known In all
~hy life. | say that deliberately.
Besides nsuring peace for ten years.
wanyway. in the only quarter Of the
world where war really threatened us:
1,esides overturning the wildly extrava-
| -
u pacfss administrs tion and stopping
Nhe ruinously costly naval competition.
1iesides ending the unpleasant British
-fa pa nese alliance. ii accomplished. for
Ahe first time. a tremendous factor for
3mmanl progress. It created a world
~,pinion Before the conference came
about l felt more uneasy for civilization
f-han | ever felt before. Now / am
nrore cheerful about the outlook than
Frr
u should he mt Genoa.
II think great good will come out
NJ the Genoa Conference. to which, in
1uy judgment. this country should have
heen q party. We cannot evade our
sworld responsibilities. We cannot es-
cape the unacceptable Here is an in
eslance Because Of the collapse I'm
1glussa and the utter depreciation Of
aroney pretty nearly everywhere abroad
Except in England. our farmers have
Been hard hit. They could rot sell
rleir crops for decent prices. because
abe European market had shut up.
Therefore. the farm bloc was formed
81 Congress and that farm bloc has
sdoue more. II seems to me. TO in
Aerfere with the Presidents plans and
Avith the restoration Of prosperity than
Sny other element There Is an in
Astancc of our national dependableness
Mupon foreign events Harding wanted
Nfo cut down the income tax on men who
&were making great incomes. These
N1nen have been the originators or in
sdustry and business The farm bloc
~w oudnt permit the cut. Therefore
Sr9oney that should have gone into busi-
Nuess and into the development OF a
Frnuititudc OF fresh enterprises IL locked
f1p IN land and In non-taxable securi-
ftles. What is the result? Unemployment.
ave are coming out of Il. but we need
mot have suffered II in anything like
@thc severity
X II believe Genoa will succeed because
Rthe ablest man IN the world Is at the
9eim. 7 refer 70 Lloyd George. do not
~h@lieve have ever known a statesman
80 astute as this Welshman. lie seems
no have the faculty OF diagnosing far
sahead the plans of his opponents and to
%have the constructive ability to form
splsns Of his own in ample time to rout
opposition. / believe he will steer the
conference past the rocks OF the Russian
man crisis. and that there will be a
European understanding for the first
yeare.
win not be enough. am con-
rat there must be another con-
nations to rsmap Europe and