Evening star., 1925-02-23
Does Not Play as WiIsOn
Or Harding, Sticks
Closer to Office.
Has No Aversion to Posts
Routine, as Had His
Predecessors.
ny CHARLES NICHOLSON.


Woodrow Wilson collapsed under the
strain of White House eXactions War
rem G. Harding wore, himself down un-
iii even his giant frame and tremendous
constitution crunbled when the test
came. Calvin Coolidge has gained 10
pounds since his advent as President,
hasn't missed a night of sleep or had
anything approaching a nerve crisis.
Yet Coolidge is a slighter figure than
either of his predecessors and more in
Gefatigable. if not a more intense,
worker than they were. According to
ordinary hycienic standards they lived
p more normal life than does the incum-
heRt at the White House, for each of
them had certain set diversions, eXer-
Cises and other activities removed from
their presidential functions, while Mr..
Coolidge does not know the meaning of
play.
Find Relief in Reading.
OF the three. Harding was the most
cousiderate of others-most of his
tardiness was because he feared TO
terminate conversati ton ungracious-
ly: Wilson was the most certain in
his mental processes, and Coolidge is
. the most Industrious. They all sought
strcease from official cares in read
ing. and all of them did two kinds of
reading. Wilson browsed in ponder
Gus tones of political economy, hi
ographies and memoirs, as was nat
ura1 to one of the PROFESSIONAL mind;
Harding was up on the current nov
els, in which neither his predecessor
nor his successor ever showed much
interest, while Coolidge runs to his
tory and memoirs.
The President rises at o'clock
every morning; half an hour earlier
than Harding and half an hour later
than Wilson used to be about. lie
differs from them, however, for MS
work-day, except for a short walk in
fine weather, begins as soon as he has
hreakfasted, and breakfast comes as
soon as he has his clothes on. The
O'Clock breakfasts to which he has re-.
GENTLY hidden members of Congress
he wanted to discuss things with
greatly to their discomfort, for Con-
.ress is more inclined to go to bed
with the owl than with the lark and
rises accordingly-wer concession
to the late-rising habits he attributed
to the legislative branch of the Gov
ernment.
Docs Not Rebel at the Routine.
These early morning walks of his
comprise either a dozen blocks in the
shopping district or up sixteenth
street half mile or so. Frequently
does
big front entrance, swing down the
curved walk to the eastern gate of
the White House grounds, circle the
grounds and return through the west
. gate He walks neither with the
rapidity of the ordinary seeker of eX-
creise nor at a saunterer's pace. When
he meanders through the business
section he stops at nearly every shop
window, but rarely enters store.
"a e.
times accompanies the President, but
ordinarily Mr. Coolidge has for walk
ing companions only the Secret SerV-
ice men, and with them he exchanges
hardly word
He gets back to the White House
and is at his desk in the Executive
Offices a o'clock. The clerks and
secre taries say the clock waits Tor
him to enter to strike 8.
On Sunday morning his routine is
the same, except that he frequently
heats his staff to the Executive Of
fees and rummages for his mail, car
rying such letters as look interesting
to his own office and there, unvexed
bN secretarial attendance, makes
notes for the replies. This seems to
be the limit of his effort to escape
from the White House routine. He
does not like, any more than hsi pred
ecessors, the constant attendance of
the Secret Service men, but accepts
this as part of his job and does not
cvade them, as both Harding and Will
son sought to do, either designedly or
carelessly. The presidential guard
finds him an easier man to keep track
of than any of those they have served.
Late morning routine is the same
for all Presidents. Three or four
hours are allotted to the keeping of
appointments, except on days when
the cabinet meets in the morning
The difference is in the manner of
handling these visitors, all of whom
are listed on a pad the President
finds when he seats himself at his
desk. In Wilson's time 10 minutes
was allowed for each visitor, and
rarely did they overstay their time.
They stated their business and he
answered them and usually he did
most of the talking. When he was
through there remained nothing
more to be said.
Harding Wondered What Was in 1t.
Harding, on the other hand, liked
to chat, enjoyed talking to even the
chancest of visitors about the par
ticular place he came from, asking
about mutual acquaintances and
usually finding a reminiscence. He
had more visitors than either Wilson
or Coolidge, and the secretaries had
hard time getting. them all in in
the time allotted.
Cooidge's period with programmed
visitors stops short at 1890, the
hand-shakers' hour. Harding's fire.
quently ran on almost to in the
afternoon.
Mr.. Coolidge's afternoons are