Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-11-09
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.

Notwithstanding is Col. Edward
MRndeli House who Is to gather war
sfaGa for the United States government
soc service on future day of peace7
%nis is a question that Is being asked
by q very large proportion Of the peo-
Ole OF the United States and in fact
~Gsf all the allied nations.
Colonel House does not wear the
record Of his deeds on his sleeve. It
IS probable that If this unofficial coun-
seller to the president of the United
States were to be elected to congress
che autobiography which he would pre-
TGare for the congressional directory
would read like this:
Edward Mandell House, Democrat Of
Austin, Texas; born 1858; elected to
she - congress- November. -
In this brief, ultra-modest, If you will,
'way would this Texan be prompted to
write an autobiography, justified
doubtless from the viewpoint Of other
aVseH In being extended into many
chapters.
Who is Col. Edward Mandell House,
rsfo, until the day when the final order
'@CeSse Firing" comes, Is to study In
behalf Of the government of the United
States the economic, the geographic,
the democratic and the humanitarian
problems which the American counsel
tors at the peace table must seek to
a%osve after O manner which the people
at great democracy can approvef
Consulted by President.
In the Washington dispatches sonie-
ching like this is read several times
pear: Colonel House has been in the
CITY for twenty-four hours as the guest
Of the president. He will leave for
New York tomorrow morning"
Beyond this the reader gets nothing
from the dispatches except the word
sehat the president and his visitor dis
RcEssed Mexican matters, or European
matters, or it may be, but In this lat
seer case rarely, political matters.
The public has known little more
about Colonel House than that he is
"a man frequently consulted by Wood
row Wilson and man in whose judg
Gsnent ON political, economic and legis-
Faattve matters the president puts con-
fddence. There is a sort of glamour
about men and things which are mys-
serious. 1t would seem that because
S% the attraction which mystery has
for the people, as shown If you will
ga their giuttonous reading of detec-
live stories and the like, that writer's
OF the news Of the day in part have
acilosen to treat the gOings and COM
&ngs Of the colonel and his conferences
with men Of affairs as If they were
IN deliberate attempt to hedge them
I'm and hide them from public knowl-
edge.
1t fs Just as possible to get at the
truth in the case of Colonel House as
1t is in the case of any other man
whose dolngs are of public interest. 1t
tls modesty not mystery which has been
che basic difficulty.
Colonel House will not tell you that
He is modest man, as l know from
personal contact with him. To claim
Gnodesty for ones self Is to be immod-
est. He does 90 from his present abode
In New York city to Washington occa-
asionally or frequently as the requests
may come, to give what he can of "the
counsel Of his views" to the president
s5f the United States. Why should he
amy more than any other man send a
sErumpetlng herald ahead or q band Of
rrymbai clashers?
lie goes to the White House, stays
his while and leaves, and because no
great noises I'LL the streets at ap-
Eproach or departure, exclusiveness, Sc
rclusiveness and secrecy have been the
tDrder Of the days words concerning
Ssach visit.
Gives No Word OF Work.
Eft perhaps Is not too much to say
'anst IL the full record Of the results
of Che conferences which House of
Texas has had with Wilson of the
United States is to be read 1t must be
sought I'm some Of the accomplished
deeds Of the present administration.
What Woodrow Wilson has been moved
10 certain courses or strengthened In
bis purpose to pursue them, by the
counsel of Edward NJ House Ia not to
be doubted. The impossible task would
be to get from the latter a definite
yword concerning the public work In
which his counsel has played part.
Those who have built up wall of
mystery about the man who Is study
Ing matters against the day of peace
apparently have not wished to pull
down their handiwork. The wall can
tas demolished by anyone who tries to
We6 at the foundation Of the fiction.
Edward NJ. House lives rs open @
Gffe as that Of any American whose
profession or business does not call