The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-06-15

ueck, emerging lrOui IWo liouiS Cou- centration in his stateroom and the dictating of a speech, he had re- marked, wearily:
 T am tired, I'm VERY TIRED" ]" But he hastened the reassurance that this wonderful trip had not wearied him. No" he insisted, T have enjoyed every moment of 1t. But I came tired" And again he said he was sorry the trip would 50 soon be over"
 He was aging.
 Those journeyillg with him, did not, at the time, detect his fa- tigue. He concealed it. Often, however, 1t was remarked that Mrs. Harding, ever at his side, was much more animated than he, although only recently recovered from seri- ous illness He was worn out. Pic lures taken on the journey, show ing him leaning heavily on his cane and in a dropping attitude, later revealed the fact unmistaka- bly. Possibly he sensed administra- ton troubles impending-a storm about to break. No doubt he did.
 Trustful-over trustful-the very thought of recreancy in his official
 household wounded his sensitive soul. He could not believe i'll of a friend, high or low of station. Once only on the fortnight's jount was he heard to speak disparagingly of a ellow-statesman. Then, mild I ly, he told how, on the Chautua- qua circuit, one summer his ad- miration of a colleague had under gone change, when, because his
 fee was not immediately forthcom- ing, this colleague had refused to l lecture. As for himself, he remark !, ed, he would forget the money rather than disappoint crowd eager to hear him.
 Great Souled Man A generous, great-souled man was
 Warren G. Harding. He never im- pugned the motives of party foes, and numbered Democrats among his best friends. For example, he and Oscar Underwood were as brothers. Colleagues on both sides of the Senate Chamber gave him 1 their respect, confidence and ad- miration.
 Recall his patriotic magnanimity when Woodrow Wilson refused to i approve his bill to send Gen. Leon ard Wood to France during the World War.
 1 T bow to the will of the Com [ mander in Chief" was his only comment. That typified Harding. Reminiscing on the super-deck at Sitka. mention was made of the Gridiron Club and he voiced the pleasure it's Spring Dinner had given him. He thought 1t one of the most enjoyable functions of the kind he had ever attended. q rarely miss a Gridiron dinner, . he said, but I shall not attend the next. want that dinner to re- volve about Cal Coolidge. If were there. 1t would revolve about me. T wish it to revolve about Cal Coolidge"
 ! So it did at the re-opening of Congress, Warren G. Harding, meanwhile, had gone on a long 1 journey to far country.
 This incident exemplified the in- nate kindness of the man. Will l ingly would he share the glories of his exalted office, and quite as will ingly, surrender it when his work was done.
 l He loved his fellows. On his trip to the@ Northland. it was esti- mated that he shook hands with one-hah of the meager population, at least, and exchanged pleas ant passing word with each. His graciousness was unaffected. He could not dissemble, do anything perfunctorily. When he said, T am glad to see you" he meant it. His greeting was genuine in Alaska, as ever in the White House. He could not look into human eye without feeling real. hot feign- ed, interest in its possessor. Had he been less human, his burdens would have been lighter and he would not have come to Alaska. "tired--vERY TIRED"
 Killing Job
 He was not in Alaska the con1- manding personality who presided over the Republican National Con vention of 1916, nor who, on March 4, five years later, took the oath as President. That killing job had wrough sad havoc with the physical being of this kindly, once virile man. After his tragic collapse, it was all too plain to see.
 Playing Bridge from day to day with Secretaries Wallace and Hoov- CT and Speaker Gillett on the jour- ney. or following the panoramic un- (Coutinued on Page Five)