The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-18
First Vacation. in a
Year Is Trip to
New, England
Coast-OtherNo-
table PersonsWho
Have Escaped
Capital S Heat
WASHINGTON, Aug. II.

and Mrs. Wilson had Unexpectedly
zone North" all Of sudden and Just
ike that all sorts OF mad conjectures
A to where they had gone and what
for were in order. heard 1t within
half an hour Of their leaving the White
House, at just about the time that
their train was starting, and was
puzzled.
II was all so unusual The Presi-
dents comings and goings are usually
proclaimed from the housetops. One
knows weeks beforehand that he in
tends to 60. where he Is going and
why. and how long he wilf>sta So
when at 5 o'clock one Of the White
House encourage had laughingly said
"Alrs quiet along the Potomac to-
night" meaning that there was moth
ing doing at the Executive Mansion,
and then an hour later the same man
old me that the President and Mrs.
Wilson had left washington-gone
North-of course l was one large in
terpgation point And the only an
swer was Search me-"
The information wes apparently Of
fetal, but that was all there was to it..
Half a dozen others who had ap-
parently heard it were equally puz-
zed. They were full of surmise and
conjecture. One really intelligent man
chung to the belief that it was the
first lap OF a journey overseas. There
had been any number Of rumors, most
of them originating on the other side,
that the President was going to
France
Ny suggestion was: Probably gone
up to Gloucester to see Col. House.
Col House hasn't been in Washington
for couple Of months and President
Wilson doesn't often get along without
him for long"
But there seemed no particular rea-
son why there should be any mystery
about such trip. And besides the
natural way to make It would have
been by the Federal Express. which
every one headed for New England
takes, and that had left the Union
Station long before the President lef:
the White House.
Presidents First Vacation,
Various other guesses- were thrashed
out. Then I ran into newspaper
man and asked him what he knew
about 1t. 1t developed that the corre-
spondents and the press associations
had been told all about the Presidents
contemplated trip early in the day and
had been asked not to mention it until
he had reached his destination. OF
course there was not a line about 1t in
any paper in the country. The best
way on earth to suppress any bit of
information is to tell it in confidence
10 those whose business it Is to spread
news.
The President was actually off on
his first vacation this summer. 1t was
actually the first time he had allowed
himself to get so far from the capital
IN fully twelvemonth. Indeed he had
not been away since he made the same
trip last summer on the Mayhower,
end for day or two the little vessel
was lost" up on the New England
coast. OF course the President is not
taking the Mayflower outside the
capes now.
AS for the rumors that he Is going
10 France, they bob up every few days.
But they must originate from some
one who does not know the situation.
Ihere really doesn't seem anything to
be gained by his going at all commen-
surate with the risk, not merely to the
man but to the country should 1t lose
It's head at so critical a period.
The immunity with which our big
men have come and gone is an endur-
ing marvel. Washington has reached
the stage where it looks wise when it
IS announced that some important ex-
ecutive is about to go over and is
ready to bet dollars to doughnuts-
Without finding any takers-that he is
already we'll on his way. Usually
within twenty-four hours of the news
papers being allowed to print that So
ana SO was going has come the an
nouncement that So and So has landed
On the other side.
reople are coming and going at such
rate that 1t is almost impossible to
Neep up with them. Take the Cabinet
SET Tor instance. With, the return of
,"e Lansings several of the lesser
,shts OF the State Department seem to
nave been released.
frank Lyon Polk. the counsellor OF
.He department and in his chiefs abb
@nce acting Secretary. Immediately
neu himself northward to Join Mrs.
.oh at Bar Harbor. whittier she had
preceded him by several days. The
rHst Assistant Secretary, William
""lps' accompanied Mrs. Phillips
VINO mad been down here with him for
rev days. back to Highoyer. their
GUNNER home at North Beverly, and
spent the week end with her and the
u.idren, returning to Washington on
-uesoay to share the burden an< heat
VI the day--and certainly 1t has been
some heat Of late--with his chief.
me me breckinridge Longs (Mr. Long IL
Ihira Assistant Secretary being also
away on their vacation.
Adee's bicycle Trips stopped
phe wonders what Second Assista nj
n'eF Adee Is doing these days by
10y OF vacation Mr.. Adee Is likely to
~ second Assistant Secretary OF State
NJ inc term OF his natural life. lie
""S appointed Third Assistant in 1882
Gnu Gnu Few years later movei up to
,sscohd Assistant Before that he had
. zen IN the diplomatic service-a lege..