Part 27 (2/2)

Then, co closer to me, he said: ”I shall rely upon you to keep me in touch with the situation on this side of the water I know I can trust you to give me an exact size-up of the situation here Remember, I shall be far away and what I ant is a frank estimate from you of the state of public opinion on this side of the water That is what I will findmy foot in it, please say so frankly I am afraid I shall not be able to rely upon et from the other end”

Before the President left he had discussed with me the character of the Peace Conference, and after his departure I kept him apprised by cable of opinion in this country Appendix ”A”, which contains this cabled correspondence shoelcoestion

[Illustration:

The Secretary thinks the President would like to read this letter

(Manuscript: Thank you, what's his game?

W W

Dear Tumulty

I have not sufficient confidence in the man

W W)

Dear Tu new in Root's speech and I do not see any necessity to answer it Certainly I would not be willing to have so conspicuous a representative of the Adain that I a that answers to Republican speakers or writers should emanate from the White House or the Administration

The President

CLS

Some characteristic White House ton, I am dependent upon others, especially Mr Creel and Mr Ray Stannard Baker, a member of the President's official family, for a connected narrative of events in Europe

Speaking of his attitude in the trials that confronted the President on the other side, Mr Baker said:

No one who really saw the President in action in Paris, sahat he did in those grilling le, fired at in front, sniped at from behind--and no one who sahat he had to do after he carew out of the ill for a moment belittle the immensity of his task, or underrate his extraordinary endurance, energy, and courage

More than once, there in Paris, going up in the evening to see the President, I found him utterly worn out, exhausted, often one side of his face twitching with nervousness No soldier ever went into battle with more enthusiasm, more aspiration, more devotion to a sacred cause than the President had when he carowing grayer and grayer, gri in his face

Here was a man 63 years old--a man always delicate in health When he ca well His digestion was poor and he had a serious and painful case of neuritis in his shoulder It was even the opinion of so great a physician as Dr Weir Mitchell, of Philadelphia, that he could probably not complete his term and retain his health And yet such was the iron self-discipline of the man and such was the daily watchful care of Doctor Grayson, that instead of gradually going down under the tremendous tasks of the Presidency in the ained strength and working capacity, until in those months in Paris he literally worked everybody at the Peace Conference to a stand-still

It is so easy and cheap to judge people, even presidents, without knowing the problems they have to face So much of the President's aloofness at Paris, so y upon unnecessary business, unnecessary conferences, unnecessary visiting-- especially the visitors--was due directly to the deteries upon tasks that seemed to him essential

As I say, he worked everybody at the Peace Conference to a standstill

He worked not only the Aates, but the way he drove the leisurely diplomats of Europe was often shaoing on at the sa Four going on in his study, and aof the financial and economic experts--twenty or thirty of the roo between the two

It was he as always the driver, the initiator, at Paris: he worked longer hours, had ranted hih or low, at the Peace Conference

For he was the central figure there Everything headed up in his of the Council of Four were held in his study in the Place des etats-Unis This was the true capitol of the Peace Conference; here all the important questions were decided

Everyone who came to Paris upon anythe President Representatives of the little, downtrodden nationalities of the earth--froht that if they could get at the President, explain their pathetic ambitions, confess their troubles to hi in Europe, his friends in Aainst the course adopted by the Republican obstructionists in the Senate, which course, they saw, must have a serious if not fatal effect upon developments overseas Occurrences on both sides of the Atlantic became so closely interwoven that it is better not to separate the two narratives, and as Mr Creel, upon whose history I have already drawn, tells the story with vigour and a true perception of the significance of events, I quote at length froht with pro to accept the President's leadershi+p as unshakable, was more amiable in its tone, the bitterness bred by the decision as to the German colonies had abated Fiuround with other deferred questions, and the voice of French and English and Italian liberalisain On February 14th the President reported the first draft of the League constitution--a draft that expressed his principles without change--and it was confirmed amid acclaim It was at this moment, unfortunately, that the President was con certain bills, and for the inforreed upon by the Allies

We coularly shameful chapter in Ao to Paris the chief point of attack by the Republican Senators was that such a ”desertion of duty”

would delay the work of governramme of reconstruction Yet when the President returned for the business of consideration and signature, the same Republican Senators united in a filibuster that perle appropriation bill This exhibition of sheeran ultimate of confusion and disaster, was not only approved by the Republican press, but actually applauded