Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1917-07-20
PRESIDENT WILSON
AS LANE KNOWS HIM
SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR DRAWS A REMARK.
ABLE PICTURE OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF
NATION AT WAR

WASHINGTON, d. c.. July 20
Franklin X. Lane, secretary of the
interior, recently drew a remarkable
picture of President Wilson in a
casual conversation with a friend
who had called his attention to the
statement of some senator's and rep
rcsentatives who complained that
the president was becoming too auto
cratic in his views on the conduct Of
the war
ITO such man it is not dan
gerous thing to give great power
was the summing up of Secretary
Lane, who has had an opportunity to
make close study Of the president,
having been in his cabinet since the
beginning of the first Wilson admin
istration. The New York Times pre-
sents Secretary Lanes appreciation
from which these high points are Sc
lected:
"The theory Of our constitution is
that the largest possible executive
power is to be lodged in the presi-
dent in time of war. because it was
realized by the constitution makers
that some man must be responsible
for the job. and that this man could
be only the president.
Never Hesitates to Do Right.
81 have watched him for four
years with the greatest interest, and
have never seen him hesitate Sec
ond to do a thing that he believed
to be right because either of political
influence or of any effect it might
have upon his own personal desti-
MES.
Sometimes he is too patient to
satisfy those who are impetuous, but
once he had reached a conclusion
that conclusion becomes a part of
his nature. He is inflexible. Those
who are our allies and those who are
opposed to US should by this time
realize that the commander-in-chief
Of the United States is man who
sees a thing through always, without
hesitation, without compromising.
without fear. He has in his nature
no consciousness whatever Of what
1t Is to fear man, which in itself is
not a bad characteristic of soldier.
"His guide is his conscience, and
the one word that most nearly sum-
marizes his nature and expresses his
career is the word duty But he
won't take, any direction as to what
his duty is from anyone, no matter
how intimate he may be. 1t must
strike response in his own con-
science. How strong a hold no has
upon himself, how much he is mas
ter Of his own thought, Is illustrated
by this-that during the period of
our neutrality, in two years and a
half of cabinet meetings and of per-
sonal conversations. I never heard
him utter a word that was contrary
to his own plea for neutrality made
to the people at the beginning of the
war. This seems like an impossible
thing, but 1t is literally true. He
could narrate facts without bias; he
could express the reactions of the
American people under given cir
cumstances; he could present the
law with relation to the facts pre-
scented; but, no matter what was un-
derneath, he held strictly to the rule
which he asked others to follow.
And thissat time when he was sub
jected to the most serious criticism
from some who said that he was pro-
German and others who said that he
was pro-English. This shows COM
pletely he is master of himself
Sole Interest Is Democracy.
"He meets situations by asking
very concretely, What is the thing
that I can do in this situation that
will make for the perpetuation of
real democracy That is his inter-
est in this war.
! Thomas Jefferson was not more
truly a democrat, nor was Lincoln.
He visualizes the world not as so
much money. land or machines, but
as so many men, and women, and
children.
I'VE have a commander-in-chief
who has these qualities: courage,
patience, Hteadfastness. far-sighted-
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