The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-18
COOLIDGE LACKS
 ABILITY POSTAGE POLITICAL SHOW
P Personal Peculiarities Cause Unusual Cam !.
 paign Problems
By RAYMOND CHAPTER
 (By Leased Wire to The Age-Heraldl

(By Leased Wire to The Age -Herali)
 WASHINGTON, April 17.Some personal pecularities in President Cool idge have given rise to unusual prob lens in the matter of stage management during his coming election campaign
 A large section of the electorate is unresponsive to weighty discussion of political issues and must be reached through eye and ear entertainment. The public likes its presidential candidates to show the common human qualities. It likes human interest--cynics call it vaudeville--in it's politics. It is there fore necessary to set out in sharp re- lief the human side of candidate. This is matter of showmanship which plays no insignificant part in de- termining n presidential election.
 Roosevelt's success is in part at tributed to his genius as political snowman. Wilson, on the other hand, had m innate contempt for the tricks of the political impresario, but his brilliant intellect gave him a certain amount. of compensating prestige. Hughes had expert managers but try as he would, he could not get his act across. Harding. though not a master snowman himself, fell in with the re- quired stage business easily.
 Prefers to Sit at Desk
 But Coolidge is going to be more difficult. His own inclination is to sit at his desk here throughout the, cam paign and carry on his work as usual, making only an occasional out of town address. But this program lacks the action which his managers want. While Coolidge would be working over his daily routine drldgery at the White House, his democratic opponent would be out in the country, making speeches, mingling with the voters, and monopolizing the important columns of the newspapers.
 It has been agreed that Coolidge will not make transforming tour. He is not a natural stump speaker, and does not relish the usual political speech Instead, he will make number of ad- dresses over radio. His voice is well adapted to aerial transmission and the effort is not so taxing as addressing mass meetings in large halls or out-of. doors. Also, he will receive a great many delegations, at the White House much as Harding received them at the Marion front porch. Each of these oc. casions will give him an opportunity for dignified discussion of political questions. N
 Coolidge will not be seen in the movies to great extent. He does not photograph to advantage and there will be no effort to exploit this form of pub. licity.
 Dislikes Hand Shaking
 Then there is the question of hand. shaking. Coolidge does not relish this fatigulng chore, as indicated by his ac- tion Thursday when several hundred Easter tourists augmented the usual iloon-day quota of handshakers at the White House offices. Discovering the unusual size of the throng outside, Cool idge ordered the secret service men to hustle the visitors through his private office, single file, so that they might see him. But he remained seated at his desk. He looked up from his work good-naturedly at the visitors hurrying along on. the opposite side of his big desk, but he said nothing. The dull tread of feet continued for twenty minutes. An occasional friendly nod from the President was his only greet ing.
 Harding used to say that he could make more votes by shaking hands with thousand people than by making a speech to them. His endurance as a handshaker was one of the causes of his personal populaGaty. But Coolidge is not disposed to encourage this form of presidential exercise, though his managers wish he would.
 It is probable that Mrs. Coolidge will be pushed to the front when the cam paign warns up. She is unusually vivacious and has captivating per sonality, which affords a perfect com plement to the silent and reserved na- ture of her husband.