Part 23 (1/2)

He [Wilson] has pro definitely, but as I have said, if any other man than he talked to me as he did, I would feel assured If I talked to anotherto get per to Mr Wilson

His words may mean much, they may mean little He has, however, left the door open

Of course, what ultimately happened is clear to everyone, civilian and soldier, who pauses a moment to reflect; as plans for the conduct of the war matured, it became continually clearer that it must be a professional war, conducted by professionals with complete authority over subordinates

There could be no experireat their valour, how pure their motives, or how eminent their positions in the nation To make an exception of Colonel Roosevelt would have been to strike at the heart of the whole design Military experts and the ressional opinion were at one in this ress put upon the President the responsibility of ether hatever obloquy this would entail It was purely as a step in the interest of waging the ith greatest effectiveness that the President announced the decision adverse to the Colonel's wishes

Personally it would have been pleasanter for the President to grant the Colonel's request, but President Wilson has never adopted ”the easiest way”

A great deal of criticism was heaped upon the President for what appeared to the outside as his refusal to send General Leonard Wood to France

Although a fierce storm of criticism beat upon him, the President displayed no resentment, nor, indeed, did he see

As a matter of fact, the President played no part in thehis ae Creel in his book, ”The War, The World and Wilson,” has succinctly summarized this incident; has told how the name of General Wood did not appear in any of the lists of officers received fro; how the President took this as a plain indication that General Pershi+ng did not desire General Wood in France (the absence of so eht 011 the part of the Co General in France); how President Wilson was deter as General Pershi+ng in the President's opinion was reat responsibility laid upon hi should not be embarrassed by political considerations of any kind in the discharge of his great military duty; how the unfortunate feature of the whole matter was that the recall of General Wood did not coade to New York preparatory to sailing for the other side”; how ”General March treated the circu to realize its political i General Wood at once that he had not been chosen to go to France, General March followed the established procedure and waited for the co orders to the division commanders”; how ”General Wood left Ca to receive his orders”; how General March sent these orders to New York; how ”in consequence there was an appearance of eleventh-hour action, an effect of jerking General Wood from the very deck of the transport”; how ”General Wood carried his complaint to the President and was told plainly that the list would not be revised in the personal interest of any soldier or politician”

I discussed the matter with General Wood immediately upon the conclusion of his conference with the President Walking into my office after his interview, the General inforreeable and satisfactory and that he was certain, although the President did not inti held in A to me, the General said: ”I knoho is responsible for this It is that ” I assured the General that there was nothing in the President's attitude toward hiree unfriendly, and reminded him how the President had retained him as Chief of Staff when he assumed office in 1913 The General, very 's attitude toward him was political consideration I tried to reassure him and, indeed, I resented this characterization of General Pershi+ng as an unjust and unwarranted imputation upon the Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces

Iunfairly treated, although I did not ad this to the President over the telephone fro I tried to convince the President that there was a feeling rapidly spreading throughout the country that Wood was being unfairly treated and that it was not just that the Administration, which I kneas blameless in the matter, should be co and pay what I was certain would be a great price in the loss of popular esteem

The President in his reply to my statement showed irritation at what I said in General Wood's behalf, and used very e tothe list, upon which General Wood's naed that if General Wood was not to be sent to France, he should be given a chance to go to Italy Our conversation over the telephone in reference to the Wood matter was as follows: ”I trust, Governor, that you can see your way clear to send General Wood either to France or to Italy”

Without a moment's hesitation, the President said: ”I am sorry, but it cannot be done”

Whereupon, I said: ”It is not fair that the Ad the burden of this whole affair If General Pershi+ng or the General Staff is responsible for holding General Wood in this country, surely they have good reason, and the public ought to be apprised of it, and thus re politics”

The President quickly interrupted me and said: ”I am not at all interested in any squabble or quarrel between General Pershi+ng and General Wood The only thing I a this war I selected General Pershi+ng for this task and I intend to back him up in every recommendation heof dissatisfaction throughout the country over the Wood incident, he replied that the responsibility of winning the as upon General Pershi+ng and hiht that General Wood was being badly treated I then said: ”But it is not fair to you to have it said that by reason of so him on this side”

The President replied: ”I am sorry, but I do not care a damn for the criticis if I tried to escape what appears to be my responsibility I do not intend to e his hand If Pershi+ng does not ood, I will recall him, but it must not be said that I have failed to support him at every turn”

His attitude toward Wood and Roosevelt was consistentlythe General Staff and the War Depart that seemed to interest him was how quickly and effectively to do the job and to find the man who could do it

CHAPTER xxxIII

WILSON, THE WARRIOR

The President had but one object: to throw all the nation's energy into the scale for the defeat of Germany Because he did not bluster and voice daily hyularly misunderstood by soainst the enemy, would sometimes peevishly inquire: ”Does he really hate Germany?”

The President was tooBy every honourable ht to avoid the issue, but a truculent and fatuous foe hadPresident ith the grim resolution of an iron warrior

In his attitude before and during the war his ht have been the familiar words of Polonius:

Beware of entrance to a quarrel; but being in, Bear't, that the opposed may beware of thee

Occasionally, as at Baltiing speeches of warlike resolution: