Evening star., 1923-04-29

thing. Harding relies a good deal on
time. Occasionally one suspects that
he has among his notices that which
says: Time and ! can win against
any other two If Harding were al
ways to tell the public on the occa-
sions when he is relying on the pas
sage of time to bring about a change
in the public mood. some of the less
patient among the public might feel
that in this partnership between time
throws rather too much work on the
senior one. But. on the other hand
this reliance of Hardings on time
and his complete confidence that time,
coupled with silence on his part, will
work changes in the public mood
give the public a picture of him other
than he is. He will never try to as
sumo personality which is not natu-
rally his own. One of the things
most frequently said in criticism of
Harding. or as an expression of vexa-
tion with him, is that he "ought to
take club to the Senate" But that
is just what Harding will never do.
He would not If he could, and he
could not If he would. Men do not
change their personalities at the age
of fifty-six. Harding will go through
to the end on his natural tempera-
ment of tolerance, patience and reli-
ance on time. BY that he will stand
or fall.
Harding will not even practice art
to the perfectly proper extent of see
ing to it that the public gets an ac-
curate impression of his personality
and his ideas. That is what Is meant
when it is said occasionally that
Harding should have publicity
manager" 1t is almost universal
with men placed as Harding is to
avail themselves of every legitimate
device for seeing to 1t that their ideas
and the true picture of their per-
sonality get across to the public as
they actually are. In the absence of
such entirely legitimate devices as
this and such completely proper care
for making an accurate impression
on the public mind-when this sort
of thing is left to haphazard acct
dent-it frequently follows that the
public gets blurred and inaccurate
impressions of public men, much to
the disadvantage of the latter, But
Harding Is unwilling to practice even
so much art as would be involved in
giving thought to-as the EXPRESSION
is-"getting his personality across
the footlights-'
*ias
1t is a fact that the public mood on
any issue frequently changes. We
have had q recent example of it in a
case of the highest Importance. Last
December, when it became known
that the French were considering 60
ing into the Ruhr, the practically
universal reaction of public opinion
In America was in the nature of Sc
we're disapproval. The demand was
widespread that Harding and Hughes
should do something to stop it. There
was, indeed, pretty trying period of
three or four weeks for these two
men. They were well aware of the
state of public opinion throughout
the country, and the clamor that they
should. in the loose common phrase,
do something" But they were
not prevent the action of the French.
That action took place, and inside Of
six weeks afterward the clear state
of public opinion in America was one
of overwhelming approval of what
the French had done. Men less sure
footed than Hughes and Harding,
men of less reliance on the course of
refraining from attempting the i'm
possible. men less confident that time
will approve what Is best-such men,
Hughes and Harding when they were
under fire last Christmas. might have
attempted something that would have
had unhappy results.
II X \
OF course, 1T is possible for Hard
ing, in going upon the theory that
"the world is being overdoctored," to
fall into precisely the error which he
seeks to avoid. 1t is possible for
this phrase itself, and reliance upon
the theory it implies. to become a
cure-all of just the sort that Harding