The Washington herald., 1913-08-31
wilson ENJOYS
SLEUTH STORIES
Finds Relaxation Reading
Them When Mentally
Tired.
CALLS IT BEST DIVERSION
President at Other Times Delights in
Going Over Books Familiar to
Him at Princeton.

What does President Wilson read? How
does he spend the leisure moments which
must occur in the schedules Of all OF US,
whether we be private citizens or the
President of the United States.
Among the many questions asked about
the President this is one Of the most
common, but strange to say, the answers
are almost as diverse and diversified as
the uuestioners. The reason for this Is
the fact that but few persons know what
the President really does with his leisure
moments. particularly while his family
is away, and those that do know won't
tell, for therein lies a deep and dark
secret which it might be considered lese
maieste TO divulge.
But, while golfing with the one man
of the present administration who is
closest TO the Chief Executive during his
private home life, l Unexpectedly STUN
bled upon the awful truth.
Despite the fact that realize the tre-
nendous import of this knowledge, the
International aspect of the matter, If
made public, and the momentous conse-
quences which will doubtless follow, the
publication of the facts, feel constrained
to bare the skeleton in the White House
closet
Awful Secret Is out.
Here, then, is the awful secret:
The President reads detective stories!
Not only does he read them, but he
dotes on them, he devours them, he uses
them to secure that relaxation from dis
official duties which he finds it impOs-
sible to obtain in any other manner.
When the eXigencies of the Mexican
situation become too much for his tired
brain, the President picks up a detec-
tive story: when the complexities of the
Panama Canal squabble fatigue and
worry him, he delves into the adventure
of some well-known sleuth: when tariff
or currency or any of the thousands-and
one other questions which poster the
Chief Executive of the nation becomes
too pressing. and he finds that his brain
must have recreatiOn-he loses himself
in the solving of some bloody crime.
A golfng friend, who is very close
to the President, said to the writer the
other day:
TT is really remarkable the way the
President finds relaxation and recrea-
tion in a book of fiction His trained
mind follows the dictates of its mas
ter and, five minutes after he has laid
down some important AFFAIR of state
which has been puzzling and perplex-
ing him for days, he is lost in the book
he is reading.
Best for Resting Mind.
Perhaps his fondness for detective
stories is the reason for this. He has
told me on more than one occasion
that he considers this style of fiction
the very best for resting the mind and
making it more ready to continue
work 1 remember on the three days
trip which the President took on the
Yacht Mayfiower, prior to his visit to
Cornish, n. H., how the President lost
himself in a work of fiction on the
way down the Potomac and didn't
emerge from between the covers of
that book until he had finished it.
Anxious to see the name of the
book which could hold the attention of
a man of scholarly mind and trained
intellect like the President, l picked
up the novel. Seeing that 1 was exam
lining the book curiOusly, the President
called out: why don't you read that?
II is one of the best I ever opened, and
l think you'll like it I took his ad
vice and didn't stop reading until the
yacht docked at the Washington Navy
Yard on the return trip. l heartily ap-
prove of the Presidents taste, and any
other novel of the same nature that
ne recommends to me I shall certainly
read"
One must not get the impression, how
ever that detective novels are the only
things which the President hastens his
leisure hours. They are used only as
mind tonics, as rest after work. as slim
ulants for brain fatigued with the con-
sideration of weighty affairs of state and
the direction Of the business of a nation.
Back to "First PrIncirIes.'
In the moments when the President
feels a bit tired, but not actually worn
out mentally, he is wont to revert to
first principles" and to go back over a
number of the books with which he was
familiar when at Princeton. His particu-