Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-19
Former Executive Makes Call
on President Wilson at
White House.
GIVES TALK AT UNIFORM
STATE LAWS CONVENTION
Host at Luncheon to Col. Watterson
and Will Be Guest This Evening
of Judge T. W. Shelton.

Today was busy day for former
President Taft in Washington. He
called upon President Wilson at the
White House by appointment. He was
Immediately received by the President.
who greeted him warmly. Mr.. Taft en-
pressed pleasure at being at the White
House again, but said he enjoyed pri-
waite life.
Following his brief talk with the
President. Mr.. Taft shook hands with
many White House employees who were
at the White House during his admin
istration. He also was greeted by sew
eral groups of senators and represent
atives who were waiting to see the
President.
Mr.. Taft delivered an address this
morning to the commissioners on uni
form state laws, in convention at the
host at a luncheon to Col Henry Wat
terSon of Kentucky.
This evening the former executive is
to be guest. with a number of jurists
here for the American Bar Association
convention of Judge Thomas w
Shelton of Virginia at the University
Club.
AS president of the American Bar AS
annual session tomorrow, Mr.. Taft is to
meet with the executive committee of
that organization this evening at s
o'clock in the Gridiron Club room of the
Wilson are to be speakers tomorrow at
the meeting of that organization.
Last night Mr.. and Mrs. Taft were
guests at a dinner given for them by
Mr.. and Mrs. William J. Boardman,
and afterward went with the Boardman
family to the Red Cross benefit concert
at the New National Theater.
Entertained at Press Club.
Former President Taft yesterday aft
ernoon shook hands with hundreds of
members of the National Press Club,
calling man of them by their first
names as he greeted old friends and
acquaintances among them, and de-
scribed the pleasures of private life,
after long public career, in an ad-
dress he made at the new headquar-
tiers of the organization, the top floor
of the Riggs building.
ut is a real comfort Mr.. Taft said,
ito go away and settle down to quiet,
modest, silent life, and then be cata-
pulled once or twice a year into this
vortex of feeling and ambition and
struggling for the best there is in the
country, and to find that whether it be
one administration or another human
nature in politics IS very much tne
same.
Until you have been elected, until
you have been forced into the apple
tree of observation, in the absence OF
influence, you really don't know much
You might have thought your expert
ence valuable. But you don't know
how valuable-for peace and content
ment-your sense of humor is"
The former President continued that
he was particularly glad to be away
he had so much entertainment IN
watching others in public life. He de-
clared it was a Fascinating study" to
watch the effects of facts upon per-
sons in authority" and that the mere
contemplation of facts in future" failed
to produce the sober effect of a hand
to-hand wrestle with real conditions.
A "Billion Dollar Government"
1.-The United States" Mr.. Taft said.
lis billion dollaf government and
requires a billion dollar appropriation"
This, he said, would remain true, no
matter how much persons not bearing
responsibility might inveigh against
conditions, as he took dig at appro-
priations for the current session OF
Congress, the largest for single ses-
sion in the history of the United States
government.
Mr.. Taft did not mention Col. Roose-
velt's name, but his auditors laughed
again and again when he said:
THE conspiracies that are entered
into of worldwide character to keep
people off the front page and relegate
them back to the eighteenth page pre-
sent a tragedy that is most interesting
to a man who has no place in any
paper"
Mr.. Taft yesterday made his first
visit to the new clubhouse of the news
paper men and complimented them
upon it. He talked shop" a little, say
ing: