Life — June 7, 1923 — page 20: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

JUNE 7th, 1923 London T says in the Bible, “The fool hath said in his heart there is no God.” Cer- tainly that is not Mr. Bryan’s opinion, but his deportment and discourse this long time warrant one in imputing to him the sentiment that for the development of proper conduct and beliefs in human beings there does not need to be any God, because he, Brother Bill Bryan himself, knows exactly what is right for all people on all sub- jects, and will impart his knowl- edge freely to inquirers and others and do his best to make them con- form to his views. Brother Bill's confidence in his opinion in politics has been a fac- tor in American political life for twenty-five years. Encouraged by his great success as the leader of the uninstructed and the keeper of them out of office, he comes for- ward nowadays as director of the people in diet, science, theology and religion. That is all right. The people who thought politically as Bryan did had to have a leader and he was a very good one, and as they were never able to elect a President as long as they kept with him, they did no great mischief. Now the dietitians and theologians and Sabbatarians and all the con- gregation of those who see a part of life and think it is the whole need a leader, and if they find it in Mr. Bryan that is very well. He may keep them together and keep them out of mischief just as he did his section of the Democratic party. All the same his ascendancy among the Presbyterians is rather curious because one thinks of Pres- byterians as a fairly conservative sect, with a larger infusion of so- Offic “While there is Life there’s Hope” Published by LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY 598 Madison Avenue, New York phistication in it than any other group except the Episcopalians. Mr. Bryan’s talents, one would think, are better adapted to the Methodists or the Baptists, both much larger religious bodies than the Presbyterians and stronger presumably in those parts of the country where Mr. Bryan's leader- ship found most support. But after all, though Mr. Bryan has been a radical in politics, in theology he is ultra-conservative. And his ef- fort in church matters, as in the other kind of politics, is to rule conventions, control resolutions and get the larger company of voters on the side he approves. His won- derful confidence in his own limi- ted powers of understanding seems quite unimpaired by experience. 2 OLONEL HARVEY is back from London and at this writ- ing is the guest of the President at the White House. He came back with so many trunks that there were rumors that he was going to quit his job of being Ambassador and possibly that is true, but not immediately, and not as intimated because he and Mr. Harding have grown apart. Once Colonel Harvey went to Washington to see President Taft, and came back and said that no President ever needed more help than Taft, and no President was ever so hard to give help to. There is no sign that he finds that trouble with Mr. Harding. Undoubtedly President Harding needs help. Every one does in an office at all comparable with his in these times. He needs all the help he can get, Rolls House, Breams Bldgs., London, E. C. and Colonel Harvey doubtless finds him much more accessible to assist- ance than President Taft was. The Ambassador must know a great deal about the concerns of this world at this time and probably a reasonable proportion of his know!- edge is true. Both in foreign pol- icies and domestic policies his counsel, his suggestions and his intuitions are probably highly ac- ceptable to the President. The papers say he is not against the World Court. Since he is a per- suasive person he may help the President to put that project through without splitting the Re- publican party wide open. In at least one great matter of the highest concern in our foreign policies Colonel Harvey is sound. He believes fervently in the c- operation of the English-speaking peoples. He wants to keep them on good terms with one another and to make them mutually helpful to one another and to the world. GOOD deal of breath is being held over the prospective ac- tion of Governor Smith of New York on the repeal of the Mullan- Gage law. All that one can ask of him is that he shall act consci tiously as Governor of New York and not politically as a possible can- didate for President. As much as that we believe he will do, for he is not only a man of good character but of very sound political instincts and quite capable of understand- ing that to do what is right as far as he can discern it is the best poli- tics as also the best conduct. W) ever he does, the reasons given for his action will be read with great interest. E. S. Martin. comicbooks.com