Evening star., 1917-03-05
WILSON A WORKER
ALONG SYSTEMATIC LINES

7 into his automobile and went directly
to Congress with his views. reading
| what he had to say from prepared
| document. During his term OF office he
| has sent few written communications
to that body, and on all important mat
| ters he has appeared before the two
| bodies in joint session and told the as
| sembled congressman what he thought
best for the country. The most dra-
| matio appearances he has made before
this joint session have been when he
| told the national legislators of the
crises in European affairs.
Often Has Used Capitol Room.
| Frequently during his term the Pres
ident availed himself of hiss privilege
Of using the presidential room in the
| Senate chamber for conferences on Inn
portant subjects, foreign and domestic,
| with democratic and republican SEN
! ators. Before that Presidents only went
| to the Capitol in the closing hours to
| upon the legislators their views as to
what should be done. For doing this
| he has been charged with tampering
with a separate and Independent body
that should not be influenced from the
White House or anywhere else except
| by public opinion. The President, how
| ever. has taken the position that he is
| sponsor for the public thought of the
country as to legislation, and that 1t is
his duty to transmit the opinions of the
voters to Congress in any proper man.
ner. He never considered it improper
to personally and directly deal with
senators and representatives.
| In fact. Mr.. Wilson has been so dis
regardful of precedents and prejudices
| that Fridays and the 18th of the month,
even when they fell upon the same day.
nave been looked upon as his lucky
days. There have been no "hoodoos'
| for him. His intellectual attainments
frown upon superstitions and he has
/ never hesitated to start any large un-
dertaktngs on Fridays or the 18th. He
signs his name with thirteen letters
| and he often has stopped after doing
| 1T thirteen times. One President of re-
| cent years shared the superstition
| that II he spoke of his health being
| unusually good he must touch wood or
about his only superstition. Not so
Mr.. Wilson.
Filled Only Important Positions.
President Wilson smashed the long
existent idea that the White House
should be a mecca for patronage dis
tribution and quarrels. When he came
| into Office he turned over to his cabi-
net officers the duties OF going through
all applications for office and making
recommendations to him. He has been
| consistent in following these recon-
mendations. In this way he has kept
out of the dissensions over jobs, and
the cabinet officers have had to stand
the "cussing" Of those who became sore.
Mr.. Wilson. has given personal atten-
ton only to important diplomatic ap
| pointments, making his own selections
| in the majority of cases. He had
that understanding with William ].
Nah~
Secretary of State. Mr.. Bryan attend
| ed to the smaller appointments in the
diplomatic and consular service. but the
President chose the men for the big
posts.
While Mr.. Wilson's responsibilities
have been enormous, he has carried
them with ease, and has not let them
follow him into his private life. He
! has. under the direction Of his physi-
clan and friend. DR.. Cary Grayson,
taken plenty of time for recreation and
the maintenance of his health. When
he was Governor of New Jersey he es-
tablished the rule that Saturdays would
be holidays with him. and he brought
this rule to the White House. He fol-
lows the rule. too. During his nearly
four years few Saturdays have found
him considering official matters. and
visitors have never been allowed to
reach him on that day. He plays golf
or rides. generally playing golf each
Saturday morning and taking long
automobile ride in the afternoon.
Since his marriase to o,dsa MIS- haSa ait hens nis
extensive, covering all parts OF the
country adjacent to Washington. Golf
is the favorite outdoor recreation OF
Mr. Wilson. and when he IS not pressed
with official business he plays the game
almost every afternoon that the wealth
er permits. His companions are Mrs.
Wilson and DR.. Grayson. He shuns the
golf courses that are crowded, and goes
fLn n1lr1
players. He does not ask or expect
privileges on the golf courses not en-
joyed by other players, insisting that
the rules of the game be Followed as
to rights of players. POSITIONS etc.
Believes in Plenty of Sleep.
Mr. Wilson has not taken up any OF
the physical development fads: has not
called in any boxers. wrestlers or train
ers to keep him in physical shape. He
believes in a reasonable amount of out
door exercise and plenty or sleep TO
| ward off the ills of life. II he is tired
out from long attention to official duty
he goes to bed and sleeps for eleven or
twelve hours at a stretch. OFTEN he
has gone away from washington Tor
several days at time on the May
! flower, his yacht. to be sure Of getting
! sufficient sleep and rest He likes
water trips.
Mr.. Wilson has had pretty good health
since he entered the White House. lie
has liver, Just like any ordinary man,
and on four or hve occasions 1t has
gotten nnruly and out of sorts. requtr-
ing DR.. Grayson's service to bring 1t
back to normal duty. He has had bad
colds; in fact, a good many or them, but
when he shows signs or colds or grip
DR.. Grayson puts him to bed ana COM
pels him to stay there until ne is I'M
proved. DR.. Grayson is rather stern
boss when the President Is sick. At
p,.aC
was confined to his room a number Of
days from a severe cold, and many wild
reports started as to serious ailments
affecting him and threatening to end
his life The Presidents medical ad-
wiser finds his patient an unusually
sound man for his age.
President Wilson is good stenogra.
pher and typewriter. He prepares all
important speeches and messages him
self. He first puts down MS ideas In
shorthand and then transcrtbes the
notes, with corrections and additions.
upon his own typewriter. Several
years ago a fanciful newspaper writer
represented the Presidents typewrittng
ma chine as old and dilapidated, fire.
quently missing letters and doing many
things that would be Objectionable to
others than the President. Mr.. wilson
, didn't like the story. because he has a
new machine, and he knows how to
write upon it, too. The President is
his own stenographer and typewriter
when he wants to be care1ul What ne
says to the world. In answering the
| letters of friends and attending to
large amount of official Correspondence
= q hin1aelf