San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-15
TOO MUCH FOR ANY MAN

To what extent, if any, the illness con-
tracted by the late President Harding on
his trip to Alaska may have been due
indirectly to the devitalizing effect of
overwork, perhaps not even his own ply
stefan would undertake to say. How
ever, for many Americans Mr.. Harding S
death may already have served as a
somewhat accusatory reminder of a Drac-
tice into which the country has fallen,
at its own expense, perhaps, as well as
at the expense of the various Presidents
who have been burdencd by it.
Gradually the country has come to eX-
pcct too much of its chief executive-too
much in physical endurance and an ex-
cessive variety of mental application. AS
fulfill the requirements, have had too
little time to devote to matters OF trans
cendent Importance.
Perhaps some OF the Presidents them
selves have encouraged the tendency by
interesting themselves too intimately in
administrative details. If that is so, then
by this means the Capitalization move
ment may have been stimulated. But, be
that as it may, certain it is that such 4
great diversity of comparatively unim-
portant matters have been thrown Upon
the Presidents shoulders. the burden
ever increasing. that he would have to be
a super-man, indeed, to perform with
maximum credit to himself and to the
nation the more significant tasks that
define worthwhile leadership in genuine
Statecraft.
The American people look upon tie
presidency as position requiring the eX-
ercise Of the very finest craftsmanship.
Yet when they elect man to that posi-
ton many of them look to him for the
performance of tasks that have no
proper place in the official cognizance
of one upon whom rests the primary
responsibility for truly national policies.
To attain the highest efficiency as a
statesman, the President OF the United
States should be relieved of all work
as general proposition, save that of
formulating broadly important policies
and OF supervising their execution.
The President does not a little work
that is by nature somewhat of the cleri-
cal order. Social requirements, too, are
heaped Upon him. He is not even free
ircsn tasks OF political character More
over, just why it should be incumbent
upon him to take the stump, and prepare
and deliver dozens of speeches replete
with Details in defense of his announced
policies, is question which might en-
harrass anyone who undertook to answer
it.
What time the President of the United
States has away from the hurIy-burly of
routine governmental and political and
social affairs, what chance he has to
thinll-really to thinks a puzzle. 1t
would seem that he must be a man Of
iron nerves, and be equipped with con-
stitution such as is ordinarily to be- found
only in men regularly engaged in manual
labor, to be able to withstand the many
ordeals of body and mind to which he
is almost constantly subjected
Four years at job like the Presidents
would seem to be enough to unfit man
of average mental and physical vigor
for. a second term. Yet when a Presi-
dent endures for four years all the trials
of strength that fall to his official lot,
many people wonder why he hasn't
transformed the county into a Promised
Land for all corners.
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