Evening star., 1926-02-18
C.. BASCOM SLEMP, In BOOK,
ANALYZES COOLIDGE sENICMA"
''The Mind of the President'' Declares Executive
Has Remade Republican Party and Made Peo-
pie Accept Opinions as Their Own.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Campbell Bascom Slemp, Calvin
Coolidge 8 first secretary in the White
House, will publish on or about Wash
ingtonS birthday The Mind of the
PRESIDENT analysis of the 'polit
lcal enigma" now occupying the pres
| idential chair of the United States.
Those who long have suspected and
gossiped that Slemp left the White
House year ago as the result of
! bitter differences with Mr.. Coolidge
VIII be surprised at the nature of his
observations. They will be found to
be 100 per cent friendly to the Presi-
dent. Between the books covers are
no suggestions that the former Nir-
ginia Representative left the White
House because, as rumor used to a.
lege, he declined any longer to be
treated like an office boy"
Mr.. Slemp has produced a 5000
word Introduction to a volume which
in large part is an Interpretation
Of President Coolidge's public utter
ances. The introduction is preceded
by a foreword over the Presidents
own signature. In the course of his
digest of Coolidge's policies Slemp calls
the President the creator of a new
Republican party
Has Remade Party.
ion" the author politician says, that
President Coolidge has remade
the Republican party-an outstanding
contribution to the political history
of his time. He has so wisely formed
his opinions upon public questions
and so convincingly stated them that
his words have come to be accepted
by an overwhelming ma jority of the
Republlcan party-and also, it might
be added. of the American people
as the expression of their opinion"
The Presidents achievement in max
ing himself the master of the G. O. p.
within a year of his accession to Of
flee is attributed by Mr.. Slemp to
Coolidge's psychic sense" The man
who was at the Coolidge elbow from
August, 1923, until March, 1925,
writes:
In dealing with public or political
questions President Coolidge has
political intuition almost psychic.
political tide, but he can feel it. Hav-
ing felt it, one can analyze it and
find reason for its existence. but If
one fails TO make a tide or feel 1t
when it is on, he is lost.
Roosevelt Had Gift.
Coolidge and Roosevelt had this
all our recent Presidents: Taft the
least. Wilson developed it. Harri-
son was cold intellect: Cleveland rug
ged force. Neither had this psychic
sense. Lincoln partly secured it
through defeat"
Mr. Slemp deals in The Mind of
the President" with the charges com
monty made by the Presidents politi-
cal foes, and even by some of his
friends. that Mr.. Coolidge is an
enigma" and an "opportunist."
Slemp writes:
He is an enigma because he is not
easy to classify as either a conserva-
tive or a proSresSiVe-the two major
lines Of political division.
He is an enigma because. without
professional political art, he gets more
votes than any other man who ever
ran for office.
He is an opportunist in that he
awaits the knocking at the door and
never fails to answer the call. He
has never forced his own career, nor
does he enthuse over others forcing
theirs Modesty is a better road to
preference with him than aggressive
ness. He is growing all the time as
any man must grow who is the center
of intellectual impact that rushes up
against the White House. He is de-
taCheQ enough from II, 1lONeNe "
measure the different currents
Code of Action.
President Coolidge's code of action
in the realm of domestic politics is
thus summarized:
First, he would enforce the law as
the primary duty of free citizen.
Second, he would provide a funda-
mental economic founda ton for the
life of the people, finding its express
sion in economy, both public and
private, with a consequent reduction
of expenses of government and relief
to the taxpayer.
Third, he would administer the
affairs of his great Office with an eye
single to the public good. but with a
personal attention to details never be-
fore eXcelled. if ever equaled, in the
White House. requiring the same
from his subordinates. =
Fourth, minimizing the activities
of government, he would accentuate