The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-11-28
PRESIDENT IS
FACING CRISIS
IN HIS CAREER
Has Got Out of Touch With
American Domestic Ques-
tons, Claims New York
Writer.
David Lawrence in the New York
Evening post)


WASHINGTON, Nov. 2S.-Presi.
lent Wilson is himself so strong an
advocate of frankness in public bust
aess and politics that he will not mis-
Jake the sincerity OF purpose and dis
tnterestedness Of his many friends
who believe that he is face to face
with a crisis in his own career both
IS the leader Of the democratic party
and the representative Of America at
he peace conference.
Briefly, there is a dissatisfaction
md discomfort inside the democratic
partS Of which the public has hitherto
had no hint. but which, IL left uncor-
recte1 by the president himself, will
mean that as he goes to Europe he
will Leave behind a detected and de-
pressed following whose enthusiasm
Tor him viii have been seriously di-
minished.
Men who are officeholders but un-
selfish friends of the president are
grieved and disappointed. They are
not republicans, they are not his 20
itical foes, but they are the men who
helped elect him in 1912 and in 1915,
md they are talking earnestly among
themselves about what can be done
TO make the president see that he
must clean house, that he must 'reor-
ganize his entire cabinet, and that he
must, indeed, reorganize the demo-
cratic party in congress so that ne
will have advisers in the executive
branch of the government and leaders
In the legislative branch who are In
sympathy with the true wishes and
spirit of the American people.
See Mistakes by Wilson.
After talking with dozens OF these
men, the names Of any one Of whom,
IL published, would carry the convic-
ton that they are seeking only things
which will help and not hurt the presi-
dent, one gets consensus Of opin-
ion which is unmistakable. Here and
there are suggestions of method
which differ, here and there are diff
ferent degrees Of dissatisfaction, but,
put categorically. these are some OF
the mistakes which the president him
self is declared to have made or to be
making today:
First, the president. in his absorb
ton in foreign questions. has gotten
out of touch with the true spirit OF
America on domestic questions. he
has listened to a small group or al
visers who have had his ear to the
exclusion Of the greater group OF
friends who come from the middle
West and West and sections OF the
East where people are finding IT diff
ficult to reconcile the brand or de-
mocracy which Mr. Wilson preached
NJ the outset of his administrator
with the retention Of distinctly auto
cratic and bureaucratic advisers and
with his own exclusiveness.
Second. the friends of the president
are unable to understand why George
Creel should be taken to Europe as
the head of any committee on pubic
information when Mr.. Creel, notwith-
standing his fine personality and close
personal friendship for the president
and sympathy with the Wilson ideas,
has lost the confidence OF the Amerl-
can press, and thereby the people,
Third. the friends of Mr.. Wilson be-
lieve grave mistake was made in
announcing the dispatch of Mr.. Creel
~ Europe at the same time that Post
master General Burleson was permit
ted to take over control of the Allan
tic cables These things have been
denounced as colossal blunders," not
merely by Republicans, but by Mr..
Wilson's most loyal friends. who mean |
uOlIluS pei Sciidi ny II, SituCi'
Cabinet in Rut.
Fourth, they believe that Mr.. Will I
sons cabinet is superannuated and !
In a rut, and that the resignation Of |
William Gibbs McAdoo deprives the /
administration of one of it's most eff /
ficient public servants. and that the /
president should have never permitted !
him to resign until after reconstruc-
ton was we'll under way or at least |
Mr.. Wilson had returned from Europe. /
Fifth, they consider that Southern
IN congress and elsewhere
will prove fatal to the Democratic
party's chances to regain the conf
dence of Western celebrates.
Sixth. they are deeply disappointed
that Mr.. Wilson himself should have
kept himself aloof from men from
various States who have sought to !
aid him in the past and that he should
have depended so much on his own
Judgment or the advice of a small
group of provincially minded advisers.