New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1917-11-24
BY EDWARD q. CLARK.

study.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.
Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union.
Washington.-Who Is Col. Edwart
Mandell House who Is to gather wal
data for the United States government
for service on future day Of peace
This is question that is being asked
by a very large proportion Of the PEG
| pie Of the United States and In fact
| of all the allied nations.
Colonel House does not wear the
record Of his deeds on his sleeve. II
is probable that II 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
would read like this:
Edward Mandell House, Democrat of
Austin. Texas; born 1858; elected to
the - 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
men in being extended into many
chapters.
Who Is Col. Edward Mandell House.
who. until the day when the final order
"Cease 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
solve after a manner which the people
Of a great democracy can approved
Consulted by President.
In the Washington dispatches some
thing like this is read several times
year: 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
that the president and his visitor dis
cussed Mexican matters, or European
matters. or 1t may be, but in this lat
ter case rarely, political matters.
The public has known little more
about Colonel House than that he II
man frequently consulted by Wood
row Wilson and q man In whose judg-
ment on political. economic and legis-
lative matters the president puts con-
hdence. There Is q sort Of q glamour
about men and things which are mys-
terious. It would seem that because
Of the attraction which mystery has
FOR the people, as shown II you will
in their gluttonous 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
ings of the colonel and his conferences
with men Of affairs as II they were
q deliberate attempt to hedge them
In and hide them from public knowl-
edge.
II il Just as possible to get at the
truth In the case Of Colonel House as
II Is In the case of any other man
whose doings are of public interest. It
Il modesty not mystery which has been
the basic difficulty.
Colonel House will not tell you that
he Is modest man. as know from
personal contact with him. To claim
for ones self Is to be immod-
est. He does 60 from his present abode
In New York city to Washington occa-
sionally or frequently as the requests
may come. to give what he can Of "the |
counsel Of his views" to the president |
IF the United States. Why should he |
my more than any other man send a
herald ahead or a band Of |
.ymbal clashers7
He goes to the White House, stays
his while and leaves, and because no
yreat noises all the streets at ap-
,roach or departure. exclusiveness, se-
.lusiveness and secrecy have been the
,rder Of the days words concerning
.ach visit.
Gives No Word Of Work.
1t perhaps Is not too much to say
hat II the full record Of the results
Il the conferences which House Of
Texas has had with Wilson Of the
United States II to be read 1t must be
ought in some Of the accomplished
leeds Of the present administration
That Woodrow Wilson has been moved
0 cortain courses or strengthened In
Ipose to pursue them. by the
If Edward NJ. House is not to
e n'ed. The impossible task would
e let from the latter a definite
vor- eoncerning the public work In
rhich his counsel has played a part.
Those who have built up q wall of
1ystery about the man who Is study
- vua<fa~r ~~nl~~< 49, H. -