Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-05
COL. HARYEY'S CALL
ON THE PRESIDENT
APUZZLE TO MANY
Washington Asks w h a t
Peace Meeting Means and
Sees Cryptic Phrase in Mr..
Wilson's Explanation.
LrnoM ors srArr conRnsroNpENr.l ]

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8. - Politicians
were treated to the sensation OF the year
last night when the announcement was
issued at the White House that Presi-
dent Wilson had conferred with Colonel
George Harvey, the New York editor
who has been the most severe critic OF
the Administration. Before their misun-
derstandng in 1912. after the now historic
conference at the Manhattan Club in
New York, Mr.. Wilson and Colonel Har-
vcy were most intimate friends.
In the pre-convention campaign. Mr.
Wilson, then Governor Of New Jersey
reached the decision that Colonel Harvey
was too intimate with certain Wall
street interests, and he politely, but firm
-, Informed the Colonel tnat his support
was hurting rather than helping the
Wilson presidential BOOM" Colonel Har-
vey promptly withdrew the name Of
Woodrow Wilson from the masthead of
the editorial page of Harper's Weekly.
where II had appeard for months as the
ma sazine's choice for the presidential
nomination.
Several weeks later the story of the
meeting at the Manhattan Club, when
Colonel Harvey and Colonel Henry Wat
terson, Of Kentucky. invited the New
Jersey Governor to accept the financial
support of Thomas f. Ryan in his cam
paign for the presidential nomination, was
made public. Governor Wilson, accord
ing to the generally accepted version of
the controversy at the time, refused to
accept the support of Mr.. Ryan.
This announcement was issued by the
White House last night:
Colonel Harvey, on the invitation of
the President spent an hour with him at
the White House this afternoon, discuss
ing the general situation"
Republican and Democratic politicians
are trying today to agree upon a detni-
tion of what was meant in the cryptic
statement by the general situation"
Some of the Republican leaders believe
that the pending legislative program of
the administration was discussed, while
the Democrats interpret the White House
statement as meaning that che President
and Colonel Harvey confined their dis
cussion to financial and Industrial con-
ditons which have been disturbed by the
European wal. Lie pll6hl VI lne
growers in the South is known to be
causing the President considerable con-
cern.
Because of the fact that the President
choose Peace Sunday" as the day for
his conference with Colonel Harvey has
caused considerable comment in WASH
ington Colonel Harvey was the first
man to urge Mr.. Wilson, then President
of Princeton University, to accept the
Democratic Gubernatorial nomination in
New Jersey in 1910.
Within a few weeks after the inaugu-
ration of Mr.. Wilson at Trenton, Colonel
Harvey began to sound out party lead
ers in every section of the country as
to the advisability OF nominating Gov
ernor Wilson for President. William F.
McCombs, then a little known lawyer
in New York, and Byron Newton, now
Assistant Secretary of the Treasur who
was a newspaper reporter in New York,
Joined with Colonel Harvey and sys-
tematic campaign was launched in the
interest OF Governor Wilson.