Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-07-30
THE WILSON PERSONALITY
Washington Describes Him as
Cold and AlOof.
His Salient Qualities Are Austerity,
Retccnce and Cnnniness, His On
~ Primitive Quality, Patience
in Large Measure.
&c. q Lowry in Collier.a UeetIv,

&c. q Lowry in Golfers Weekly
Since he became the foremost man |
among us q great many persons after
contact casual or sustained, have tried |
to set Woodrow Wilson down on paper, |
with all OF his dips angles, spurs and
variations. None Of these charts, SO
carefully made, resembles any Of the
others. Mr.. Wilson himself pronounced
them all faulty and conscious OF the pub
lie need and demand, himself assumed the
task OF describing his own personality.
His expedition into the unknown hinter-
land of his own character was what the
critics of the theater call success
d'estime. 1t was brilliantly done, but his
report of his discoveries was not popu-
larly accepted. 1t was honestly meant,
but his findings flew in the face Of es-
ia blished facts.
Divisions and disagreements and con-
Trajectory reports give fair basis for one
conclusion: Wilson Is a battling person.
atty. He Is complex, subtle, not easily
known or understood The raw primary
colors are easily distinguishable but when
they are blended into what the ladies'
call pastel shades, 1t takes an expert to
name the color and to resolve 1t into its
primary constituents The color OF Mr..
Wilson'S personality may be likened to
one of those pastel shades. He Is as full
OF intricacies as a Swiss watch and per-
forms his appointed tasks Just as com
petently. He is as exquisitely adjusted
and, to the average man who comes in
contact with him. as difficult to COM
prehend. You may he permitted to see
the wheels go round, but you don't I'M
derstand the mechanism.
COLD AND ALOOF.
1t is possible to write down list.
more or less comprehensive-depe
upon ones opportunities for contact and
intelligent observation-of what may be
called the assets and liabilities of Mr..
Wilson's personality; the elements or
qualities in him that have made for his
undenable success and the things that
have held him back or counted against
him in his steady. forward progress But
after they are all set down and contrast
ed they do not explain the man.
Take flock of the little. one-design
racing boats so familiar on Long Island
Sound. They are made from the same
model, from one set of drawings, some-
times they are ali made in the same
yard, yet one will be incomparably faster
than all the others. Another will steer
like witch; another will slip along like
a ghost In light airs. while the others
scarcely move. These Emergencies In
type canot be explained; neither can Will
son. relatively short list Of his known
nm ioc ha h-,t hi
charted and undetermined qualities, which
are the more important ones make him
what he is: and that is-well here we are
again, Just where we started Broadly
speaking. warm personal regard and ad-
miration for Mr.. Wilson increase with
the square of the distance from him.
This is true at Washington, with excep-
lions. and seems to have been true at
Washington, with exceptions, and seems
to have been true at Princeton. When
Mr.. Wilson made his attempt to paint
his own portrait for the members of the
National Press club at Washington he
( seemed to have this in mind when he
put himself right up with Abou Ben Ad-
hem as one who loved his fellow man.
That was one of his findings that did
not meet with general acceptance. In
his daily walk there is nothing to show
that his nature is one that demands COM
partnership Virtually all OF Washington
has the impression of him that he is
cold. aloof, detached, and that he does
not like being with many people.
| EASILY "DEvITALIZED"
! His salient qualities as observed are
austerity reticence ana that other one
that the Scotch call canniness. The on
~ primitive quality he seems to pos
sess Is patience. But he possesses an in
exhaustlble store Of that cool attribute.
He can wait without fussng and frettng
cry ont under punishment In that re-
speCt and in the daily routine OF his life
/ he Is simple. He does, not like the ap-
pHnages and trappngs of office. Indeed,
he is so simple in hts daily habit as to be
almost bleak He dislikes to wear silk
hat and would no more appear in a
frock coat, except upon formal ceremo-
NAL occasions, than he would don a fire.
mans helmet or red shirt He lives
simply and plHnly. but he thinks subtly.
His ideals and his standards are exalted.
He has unden1ably the large vision"
It has been said for him that contact
with many persons "devitalizes" him In
his position he could establish relations
with most OF the interesting personalities
In the world He could attract TO the
White House every fine or exceptional
mind that discloses itself In this country
But he does not, Mr. Wilson consistently
sees as few persons as possible His con-
tact with the country. with Congress,
with Washington, IL what 1t has to he
and no more Mr.. Wilson husbands and
| ife. He, of course. has right to, This
is not making criticism but recording
a fact. He can be "devitalized" 80
easily; he has to guard himself against
It because he Is both mentally and phys
ically a fine grained, delicatcy adjusted
orRanis It is a simple enough case OF
necessity.
Persons who see him much NJ have op-
portunties for frequent, brief phser\a ti@u
ask themselves: Has he simplicity aui
Imagination? Is he one OF the dre,incrs
whose dreams come trueT Are hts visions
constructive? When translated intr az.
Qualities. do they stand foursluare IN
| their own bottom? Are they real struc-
lures? Yes and no. your true consera-
tive would reply; and that is the best
answer that can be given now. Some
times his dreams work ont and sometimes
they do not At home he has done what
Is apparently solid. enduring work but
many of the critics at Washington think