New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-21
Trembles, He Says, at I'm
pressiOnS He Seems to
Make on Others.
BORROWS BRAINS
WHEREVER HE CAN
Finds Himself Like National
Exhibit, Classed with Museum
and Monument.

Washington, March 90 Woodrow
Wilson unbosomed himself TO the mem
bers Of the National Press Club Of
Washington to-day, telling them in q
frank, conversational way how he felt
as President Of the United States, how
difficult it was for him to imagine him
self as the Chief Executive. with the
formal amenities of the position, and
how he had struggled to be as free as
the ordinary individual without the
restraints of his Office.
1t was an intimate picture Of Wood =
row Wilson the man, drawn by HIM
SELF on the occasion of the house
warming" at the Press Clubs new
quarters. The President did not in
tend TO have his remarks reported but
later, at the request OF the club, the
unusual speech was made public.
The President talked most in
formally. He wore a sack suit and
stood with his hands in his pockets as
he spoke. He was in a happy mood.
and his remarks were constantly
punctuated with laughter and applause.
Mr.. Wilson is a member of the Press
Club, having been elected before he be-
came President. Members Of the Cab
met, Speaker Clark and many officials
also were guests of the newspaper men.
Cannot Recognize Himself.
Il was just thinking" said Mr.. Wilson,
of my sense Of confusion Of identity
sometimes when I read articles about my
self. | have never read an article about
myself in which recognized myself. and
/ have come to have the impression that
l must be some kind of a fraud, because
l think great many Of these articles
are written in absolute good faith.
Il tremble 10 think Of the variety and
falseness In the impressions l make-and
IT is being borne in on me so that II may
change my very dispositon-that am a
cold and removed person. who has a
thinking machine inside which he adjusts
to the circumstances, which he does not
allow to be moved by any winds OF affec-
ton or emotion Of any kind. but turns
like a cold searchliSht on anything that
is presented to his attention and makes It
work. l am not aware Of having any de-
tachable apparatus inside Of me. On the
contrary, If | were to interpret myself
would say that my constant eu1barrass-
ment is TO restrain the emotions that are
inside Of me.
You may not believe it. but 7 some
times feel Ike fire from far from ex-
tinct volcano, and IL the lava does not
seem TO spill over II is because you are
not high enough TO see into the basin and
see the caldron boil. Because, truly, gen
tlemen. in the position which | now oc-
cupy there is a sort of do not know
how else TO express it than to say pas
sionate-sense Of being connected with
my fellow men in a peculiar relationship
Of responsibility. Not merely the respon-
sibility Of office, but God knows there arc
enough things in this world that need 10
be corrected
81 have mixed, first and last, with all
sorts and conditions Of men-there are
mighty few kinds Of men that have to be
described to me. and there are mighty few
kinds Of experiences that have 10 be de-
scribed to me-and when l think Of the
number Of men who are looking to me as
the representative OF party, with the
hope for all varieties of salvage from the
things they are struggling In the midst
Of. It make me tremble. II makes me
trembe not only with a sense Of my own
inadequacy and weakness, but as II
were shaken by the very things that are
shaking them, and II ! seem circumspect
1t is because I am so diligently trying not
to make any colossal blunders.
IF you just calculate the number OF
blunders a fellow can make in twenty
four hours II he is not careful and If he
does not listen more than he talks you
Continued on fourth page. third column.