The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1915-05-29

the White House: he IL concerned
with business OF 100. 900. 600 people
IL n a serious task with him. and
the FRiPPERIES AND THE IRA
DlTloNs or THE OFFICE CON
Germ HIM NOT AT ALL. In fact
one OF his first remarks IN the
White House was:
"Ali the things ! want 70 do.
they tell me here In Washing
ton I ought not 10 do. and all
the things I don't want 20 do,
they tell me ought 10 do"
SO the American citizen
would find a man who thinks
for himself. who throws all the
light Of learning upon material
eireumstanees and arrives at
UNDERSTANDING. Surely II
10 demanded Of him TO under
stand all the phases Of the
question In order TO apply
knowledge 20 the service OF his
fellows.
But neither would any man fin,
him with n closed mind'-with I
mind already made up.
lie would find him open TO al
points OF view. receptive OF all In
formation: but he would not fine
him any mere blotter that onl,
drinks in without rendering an
essence in return.
NOT THE
CLOSED MIND"
No. he would find him assimilat
Ing everything. rejecting the un
wise or lntiinely. but seizing TO
his purposc all that helps In an,
manner TO form the final conclu
sion.
/, IL as one OF my cabinet broth
ers said TO me: The president Il
the only man have ever seen whS
combines TO such an extent th'
quality OF open.mlndedness will
the quality OF determination"
What perfection In one mind
can illustrate this by relating
WHAT HAPPENED IN A CAB
MET MEETING some time ago.
We met. talking and Joking, .
little at first. as Is usual at time.
when no grave international prob
PRESIDENT is VERY HUMAN
AND LIKES TO YARN as mucf
as Lincoln did.
Mr.. Wilson read n document h
had prepared. II was a message
TO congress. believe. II may hav,
been some other important paper
but II does not matter.
Now. gentlemen" he said. :"
should like your opinions on this
both as to subject matter and ex
preston"
A CABINET
MEETING DESCRIBED
And then he laid the paper OF
the table and seemed TO withdraw
his personality from the document
under discussion. He absolutely
has NO PRIDE OF OPINION. nc
paternal feeling for d. his we'll
rounded sentences, no anything ex
cept that the document shall. IL
the clearest and most direct way
convey the thought.
or course. we knew he desired
all OF the 10 members to speal
their minds freely on everything. sc
we started In.
One said Il wouldn't mention
this" and another said. Il think Il
would be better TO couch thai
thought In other terms, and sc
on and 40 on.
The president just sat still ant
listened while We analysed sen
tence and opinion. pulling the doc
ument 10 pieces. or trying to.
The process consumed two hours
You might have thought tina
Woodrow Wilson was not heedint
all that had been said, but the flna
document showed that nothing hat
escaped him, not a criticism nor al
affirmation.
But II also showed that he hat
ANALYZED EACH SUGGESTION
and reached his own conclusion OF
Il. Only the greatest men conduc
their minds In such clear. sys
tematic way.
THE KIND OF A
PRESIDENT WILSON IS
Any American citizen talking Il
our president Is minutes woulC
reslize this:
That he IL mans ideal OF /
man come true. that he Is instillet
with belief In mankind; that h,
will listen to all. not alone viii
readiness but with interest, but thai
he will place what each says undei
the lens of his attention; an,
flnnnu ihnA Ia ,rIII nnlnh all Ia.