Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1923-08-15
$67,479.47

that Rome was not built in q day.
The political and governmental GUS
toms of centuries could not be COM
pletely changed in the brief four-year
period of presidential term. He was
building for the future, but always
with knowledge of the limitations of
the present.
To my mind. the outstanding fea-
lures of his administration are three
in number. First of all stands the Dis
armament Conference at Washington
in 1921, convened at President Hard
ing's invitation. which was the first
really constructive step in attempts to
limit warfare. There emanated from
the Presidents master mind a number
of far-reaching policies which are
even now bearing fruit. Later devel-
opments have shown us that this con-
ference was merely the first in a series
of efforts to bring the great nations of
the world to a friendly basis where
they could discuss and develop
Christian methods of settling disputes.
The second great feature of the
Presidents administration was the sec
ond step in this great plan, namely
the proposal of a World Court. Most
of us are somewhat hazy in our con-
ceptions of the workings of this
tribunal, but it cannot be doubted that
back in the brain of President Harding
there lay the plan which would have
been put before the world when the
time was ripe, when we had fully di-
Sested the proposals already made and
appreciated the possibilities of the
proposition. We shall never know the
plans that lay in his mind, we shall
never see the visions that he saw, we
shall never know just how high and
how far-reaching were his aims We
can know simply that he was a man of
vision, with a practical strain to carry
him through to the successful COM
pletion of his efforts.
The third outstanding features of
his work, to my mind, is what SCENE to
be still another phase of his plans for
team work and cooperation among
civilized nations. This phase of the
work was barely begun, in the tour
through the West, and into Canada
and Alaska, the strain of which
brought him to an untmely end. The
statements of a close friend during the
past week lead us to believe that this
trip was merely the forerunner of a
series of goodwill journeys, which
would lead, in the event of a second
term even into other lands to spread
the doctrine of love and fellowship
among the civilized nations of the
world.
All this seems to be part of re-
markable piece of handiwork, to which
we are still too close to appreciate.
We cannot understand it thoroughly.
We cannot make out the pattern, but
see only the threads which have been
woven into it. And now the weaver
has been taken away, the fabric is I'M
finished, and the pattern is lost. 1t is
like a partially finished building, an
uncompleted Temple of Peace. The
master workman has been taken away,
and there are no designs on the
trestle-bo to show how to carry out
the work.
If one should ask me what 1 consid-
cred the keynote of the Harding ad-
mnistration, l would answer without
hesitation, the doctrine of goodwill"
Our President believed in the funda-
mental truth that more business can
be done to the satisfaction of all
when the participants are in
friendly mood. 1t is seldom that any
thing is gained through antagonism,
either among individuals or among
nations. President Harding's whole
course of action was one of meditation,
of smoothing over difficulties and set
Ting disputes of removing Dreiud ices
and bringing about open mindedness. |
He was man who could be firm, but
tactful, and we have needed just such |
a man during the past three years. |
President Harding took over the reins |
of government in troublesome times. |
We were passing through a period of |
reconstruction. The reaction from the !
war was enormous. Our business |
structure, as a result of this reaction,
was perilously near collapse. Political
was rampant, and at the !
same time, reactionaries were doing !
their best to hold fast to the old order |
Of established politics. Into this con-
fusion came Warren G. Harding, and |
no man can truthfully deny that he |
has done his very best with the in
terest of the nation at heart.
We have loved Warren Harding, not |