The New York herald., 1922-03-12

~ ERdAPS you HoiCeu lhdl Sic
- President in his little talk with
4 newspaper men at the Ma
tional Press Club last Saturday night
whom they gave for him an informal
"official birthday party" celebrating
the completion Of his first year in the
White Bouse-said that the hardest
thing about his job as President was
to keep himself human. y
II YOU had been in Washington
watching the Administration closely
and critically during the last year
you would have realized that that also
was both the President and Mrs. Har-
ding's most notable accomplishment
they had both kept themselves human
1. an unprecedented degree, to de-
gree wnicn mosl or us who nave been
wa.chirg the game In Washington
would have said was quite Impossible
In the glare Of the limelight which
plays upon the White House and its
occupants. -,
More than eighteen months ago, Inn
modiately after her return from tns
nominating convention at chicago, - -
bad an informal little telephone talk
with Mrs. Harding. She had come 70
tha telephone in response to cal quite
"a freely as she would have at any time
during her residence In Washington ana
oasI discussed her plans. as far as lney
wee formulated. quite as frankly. Dep
recs1ingly she had said. "Oh, Wen, you
know we are not in the White Rouse
yet, and may not get there at all.
And then, "But il we do 1t isn't going 10
make any difference In US; we are go
ing to be just ourselves. you know
whether we are living at the White
House. or out here on wyoming avenue.
or at our home In. Marion, we are stlil
lust the Warren Hardings. l hope TO
see as much of my friends there as here
= want you to call me just as you are
doing now, and If possibly can ! VIII
come to the phone. just as ! am do ng
now. Being in the White House ought
not to make any difference in ones be-
ing ones self"
Maintain Their IndividuaIties.
At the time told myself-and I be-
lieve told her-"That sounds well, and
/ don't for a moment doubt your SIN
certify, but it can't be done" OF course,
1t hasn't been done-quite. But 1t mas
come nearer to being done than any one
familiar with the conditions would have
believed possible. The Hardings, out
side of office hours, have maintained
their own individualities more sturdily
than their most sanguine admirers had
imagined they could. They have been
more. accessible than any President and
First Lady within the memory Of the
oldest inhabitant. Mrs. Harding has, of
course, not answered the telephone
every. time 1t rang, but any legitimate
question one wished to put to her one
has usually been able to put to her by
proxy. Miss Harlan. IL she was In.
would come to the telephone, listen. an
swer If she could or undertake to find
out and let you know. Would you call
her again at such and such a time? Or
perhaps she would call you as soon as
she had had an opportunity of asking.
When they have functioned as Presi-
dent and Mrs. President the Hardlngs
have faced the limelight unfiinching and
smiling, but they have gone about their
personal affairs with a sturdy simplicity
and an apparent unconsciousness that
one could not but admire. Last Wednes-
day they slipped quietly out of town
for couple OF weeks of we'll earned
rest in Florida, the winter playground
of most of the people with whom their
lines as private individuals would be
cast.
It had been mentioned casually two
or three weeks before that they were
hoping to get away. Then nothing
more was heard of II until on Wednes-
day-with everything pretty well
cleared up, no important conferences on,
the Presidents stand and desires on all
imminent legislation. made quite clear,
the White House social program obliga-
tions very fully met-they gathered
together party of personal friends.
enough to assure a foursome at golf by
day. or table-perhaps two-at bridge
ir the evening. and with a Come on !;
let's go!" were off, even as you and l..
There Is a sanity--a moi malcy" to use
the Presidents own word-about their
way of doing things, which certainly ap-
peals strongly to the American sense Of
fitness and proves the possibility OF
being human even in the White House.
Educators Meet President.
The last number" on the regular
White House social program-barring
always the postponed army and navy
reception. which is put over to Easter
week-was the dinner which the Secre-
tary Of Commerce and Mrs. Hoover gave
for the President and Mrs Harding on
Tuesday night. You may remember
tnat / speculated last week as to what
sort OF a dinner party the Hoovers
would have to meet the Hardings. It
was foregone conclusion that 1t would
be interesting. but / confess / did not
expect quite such highbrow company
As they coilected-all the college presi-
dents in captivity. more or less, repre-
senting every section OF the country
from New England to California. Just
listen. The president of Harvard Uni
versity and Mrs. A. Lawrence Lowell.
the president of Yale University and
Mrs. James r. Angel, the president OF
Johns Hopkins and Mrs. Frank J..
Goodenow. the president of Williams
College and Mrs. Harry Garfield, the
president OF Leland Stanford and Mrs.
Ray Lyman Wilbur, the dean of Bryn
Mawr, Miss NJ. Carey Thomas; the
president Of Mills College. Or. Aurelia
Henry Relnhardt; the dean Of Smith
College, Miss Ada Comstock the d.
rector of the National Council OF Re-
search and Mrs. Vernon Kellogg and
the Assistant Secretary of Commerce.
Mr.. Claudius Huston
Really the most complete collection Of
educators ever gathered to meet the Pres
ident of these United States at a dinner
table / couldn't help a sneaking SYM
pathy with one giddy young thing. who
as sne read. II exclaimed: 1.-THE poor
dearsl No wonder they had to go to
Florida for rest and recreation the very
next day."
Certainly there was nothing particu-
larly highbrow about the party that
they took South with them--the Attor-
ney-General Harry Daugherty (who. In
spite o. his being brilliant lawyer. 10
anything but a hghbrow) the Speaker,
tnL