The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-11-03
By EDWARD 9. CLARK.

By EDWARD 9. CLARK.
Copyright 1917. Western Newspaper Union.
Washington.-Who Is Col Edward
Mandell House who Is TO gather wal
data for the United States government
for service on future day of peace
This Is n question that is being asked
by n very large proportion of the peo-
pie Of the United States and in fact
IF all the'aIlied nations.
Colonel House does not wear the
record Of his deeds on his sleeve II
Is probable that If this unofficial coun-
sellOr TO the president of the United
States were to be elected to congress
the autobiography which he would pre-
pare for the congressional directory
wonld read like this:
Edward Mandell House. Democrat of
Austin. Texas: born 1888; elected to
The - congress, November. -
In this brief. ultra-modest, II you will,
way would this Texan he prompted to
write an autobiography. justified
doubtless from the viewpoint of other
men In being extended into many
chnpters.
Who Is Col. Edward Manden House.
who, until the day when the final order
Cease Firing" comes, Is 10 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 mt the peace table must seek to
solve after manner which the people
OF a great democracy can approve7
Consulted by President.
In the Washington dispatches some
thing like this is read several times a
year: Colonel House has been In the
city for twenty-four hours as the guest
ri the president. He viii leave for
New York tomorrow morning"
Beyond this the reader gets nothing
from the dispatches except the word
That the president and his visitor dis
cussed Mexican matters. or European
matters. or II may he. hut in this lat
ter case rarely. political matters.
The public has known little more
about Colonel House than that he Is
man frequently consulted by Wood
row Wilson and man in whose iudg-
msnt on political. economic and legIs-
iative matters the president puts con-
Ndence. There Is sort of a glamour
about men and things which are mys-
ferrous. II would seem that because
az the "a fff nt, xxhfch L.
for tho people. as shown II you will
IN their cluttonous reading Of detec-
tive stories and the like, that writer's
of the news of the day In part have
chosen To treat the goings and COM
ipgs Of the colonel and his conferences
with men Of affairs as If they were
n deliberate attempt TO hedge them
In and hide them from public knowl-
edge.
II Is just as possible to get nj the
truth In the case of Colonel House rs
u is In the case of any other man
whose doings are NJ public interest. 1t
Ms m"dcsty not mystery which has been
he basic difficulty.
Colonel House will not tell Won that
he Is a modest man. as I know from
personal contact with him. To claim
mosicsty for ones self is TO he immod-
est. He does go from his present abode
In New York city to Washington occa-
sionilly or frequently rs the requests
n,nv come, 10 give what he can of "the
counsel of his views" to the president
~ The United States. Why should he
my more than any other man send
frumpeting herald ahead or band of
cy'nhal clashers?
He goes to the White House. stays
his while and leaves, and because no
great noises I'LL the streets M an
prpach or departure. exclusiveness. Sc
ciusiveness and secrecy have been the
order Of the days words concerning
each visit.
Gives Ne Word Of Work.
II perhaps IL not too much to say
That II the full record OF the results
~ the conferences which House of
Texas Inns had with Wilson of the
United States Is to be read II must be
sought In some Of the accomplished
dceds Of the present administration.
That Woodrow Wilson has been moved
"a certain courses or strengthened In
bis purpose to pursue them. by the
COUNSEL II Edward NJ. House is not TO
= doubfed. The impossible task would
- 70 get from the latter definite
Nefd concerning the public work in
which bis counsel has played part.
Ihe>e who have built up wnlI Of
mystery about the man who is study
ing 'nsftcrs against the day Of peace |
apparently have not wished to pull
down their hnndiwork. The wall can |
= dcmoIlshed BY anyone who tries TO |
reI ~ the foundation Of the fiction.
Edward - House lives as open a
'Ife ~ that Of any American whose
profession q business does not call |
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