San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-02
Observers Find He Is Max
ing Good Impression
on His Party.
NOT THE SNOWY KIND
Is Holding the Harding
Friends and Making
New Ones Daily.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


Copyright. by the san Antonio Light.
Washington, ID. c., Sept. 1.-Prcsi-
dent Coolidge's first month in the
White House has been SO full of sur
prises that those who thought the Re
publican race in 1924 would be free
for-all must defer judgment for the
probabilities are that unless the COM
ing session of Congress brings out a
radical revolt there will be an old
fashioned conservative Republican
campaign with the present Chief
Executive as its leader.
The new President has caught on to
his job with an air of self confidence
that has raised his political stature
considerably. He is by no means the
reticent man described in the advance
notices. Nor is he the Rooseveltian
turn-things- upside-down type Of a
president. He is the careful. metho
deal, hard working, thrifty, cautious,
deliberative, judicial, frank, plain
spoken, conservative man that more
nearly meets the ancient Republican
slogan of safe and sane than anything
else. He is firm, but not inflexible.
Not the Snowy Kind.
He is sympathetic and cordial in
his dealings with public officials and
callers. He is trying 10 be affable and
good natured. lie knows the value of
exhibiting human traits rather than
mechanically minded attitudes. He is
new and made natural errors here and
there in the tactics of his job, but any
one who is unfamiliar with the tent
permanent of officialdom would 10 the
same. Above all he shows an inclina
ton to keep things going as they have
been, making such changes as common
sense would dictate and not attempt
ing to give the impression that he is
about to accomplish miracles in solv.
ing pending problems.
The Presidents relations with the
press have been full of candor. He has
been explicit and informative in his
semi-weekly talks with the correspond
entS. He has been keenly alert in his
conferences with public officials in
digging into intricate problems. AL
most TO n man these callers have come
away with words of praise for the &C.
Quisitive mind and appreceptiye facul-
ties of their chief-it has seemed at |
times as il they were actually enthus- ,
iastic. This is significant because
while Calvin Coolidge has been Vice
President. he has suffered the neglec, !
that other Vice Presidents have suf-
fered. He has been an unknown guam
tity.
Isn't Planning Changes.
Naturally one may credit Mr.. Cool
idge with human ambition to succeed
himself. While eschewing politics it.
self, the new President has shown
every disposition to make friends and
to retain the friends President Hard
ing had. Few men could have been as
meticulous about preserving the Hard
ing circle. The aim of Mr.. Coolidge
has been TO restore party harmony.
He is anxious for the country to know
that he does not intend to upset the
Harding administration personnel or
its policies IL he is elected for n rec
ond term. Mr.. Coolidge may feel lif-
:erently. He may come to believe that
lie alone is responsible for the co1t:nu-
ance in power of those who now hold
office urdcr HIM. Ne may accnrt res
'gnatinhS then that he would not
dream of accepting now. He isn't plan
ming changes. He wants the whole
organization to remain in
act. II
Divorcing Mr.. Coolidge from any
thought of the effect of
such n policy ON his own political for
unes. it is a fact the best way for
he President to inherit Mr.. Harding's
political strength with the Republican
,arty is TO act Loyalty toward the
Harding appointees. At the moment it
would appear that he has not only
yon their sincere cooperation in ad-
affairs, but their political
influence. 1t has been a month with
ut spectacular performance. but with
'lenty of achievement in the direction
f the next Republican convention.
instead of free-for-all. the Republic
an race Mt the moment centers on the
nan in the White House. His oppo-
ents will not be numerous and il he
eep the pace he has begun and sur
ives the next session of congress rs
ell MS he has the first month in of-'