phs.

Eight months after his meeting with Hays, Harvey came to Washington
where his shadow was cast over the destinies of the Republican
party, which at that time consisted of a dozen elements with little
in common except a hatred of Woodrow Wilson.

It was an ideal situation for the exercise of Harvey's peculiar
talents. He met various factional leaders and before many weeks his
house became their rendezvous, the G. H. Q. of the forces who were
to encompass the defeat of Wilson. Harvey flattered and cajoled and
counselled, enjoying himself immensely all of the time. This
diversion was much more to his liking than the academic dignity of
the editorship of the "North American Review".

When President Wilson sailed away on his disastrous mission to
Paris, Harvey's "Weekly" threw aside all restraint. It cut and
slashed indiscriminately the President's policies. For the first
time Harvey took on the guise of a Republican among Republicans. He
even aided and abetted, with amused cynicism, the groping and
fumbling of Republican leaders who were dazzled at the sudden break
in the political clouds which had so long enshrouded them. He
helped raise the funds used to counteract the league propaganda and
toured the country in opposition to it.

The next shift in scenes was as much beyond Mr. Harvey's power of
manipulation as it was beyond most of the Republicans who now
sagaciously give the impression that their hands were on the ropes.
Stories have been told of the great part Mr. Harvey played in the
nomination of Mr. Harding. Mr. Harvey did not go to Chicago with
the intention of supporting Mr. Harding any more than any other of
the candidates, except Wood and Hiram Johnson, whom he despised.

He and the Senate oligarchy that coyly took the credit for
nominating Mr. Harding turned to him when it was manifest that the
machinery was stalled. Mr. Harding owes his nomination to a mob of
bewildered delegates. It was not due to a wisely conceived nor
brilliantly executed plan.

I doubt very much that George Harvey and President Harding had much
in common until Harvey was invited to Marion. At that time the
"irreconcilables" were beginning to be afraid that Elihu Root and
William H. Taft were about to induce Mr. Harding to accept a
compromise on the League of Nations. Harvey served the purpose of
restoring the equilibrium. At the same time it is quite probable
that the President was impressed by a mind so much more agile than