The Irish standard., 1918-11-09
How The Pres
ident Expressed
His Admiration

His Admiration
when I look at you, feel as If I
also and we all were enlisted men,
Not enlisted in your particular branch
of the service, but enlisted to serve
the country, no matter what may
come, even though we may sacrifice
our lives in the arduous endeavor."
These words, spoken by the Presi-
dent few months before the begin
ming of the war, express as we'll as
anything he has since said his atti-
tude toward the men in khaki. His
conception of the duty which every
American owes the nation is thor
oughly known, but has special signi-
ficance and very deep sincerity in this
thought of himself and other men,
bers of the Government as the COM
panions of the soldiers in the ranks.
His private writings and his public
utterances continually convey his idea
of closest partnership, between the
men who are actually fighting for
their country and those, less fortunate,
in this country who can only back up
with unceasing toll for the army the
irresistible advance of the Americans
in France, who are carrying this coun-
try's flag to the banks of the Rhine.
There are very few days during
which the President does not give his
personal attention to matters Of gov
eminent detail that directly affect the
welfare Of the men in the army. And
there is no day that finds him too busy
to turn from affairs Of state to make
an exhaustive study of evidence in the
case of a private soldier who has come
| under a court-martial sentence. The
newspapers record innumerable in
| stances OF executive rulings on these
court findings, many OF which are ex-
plantations of leniency to young sol
| diers, but the great majority of the
| cases in which President Wilson de-
votes the exceedingly limited time at
his own disposal are never known to
the public.
The big correspondence that goes
out Of the White House each day is
repeatedly punctuated by simple notes,
dictated by the President, and mailed
to the mother Of boy at tho front.
His eye is easily caught by news
paper story Of some family, or indi-
vidual, that has made special sacri-
| flee for the nation. Here for eX-
ample, is a typical letter, which the
| head of the nation wrote when he
read that six sons of Nebraska man
had enlisted to fight for the American
| flag:
"My Dear Mr. McShane:
MAY not turn away from the
duties of the day for a moment to ex-
press my admiration for the action Of
your six sons in enlisting in the SER
vice of the country? They are MAX
ing, and through them you are MAX
ing, very noble contribution to the
fine story Of patriotism and loyalty
| which has always run through the
pages Of American history
Cordially and sincerely yours,
WOODROW WILSON.
"Mr. ]. II. McShane, 1906 Chicago St.,
Omaha, Neb."
It is significant that the President
replies with the utmost simplicity and
entire lack of formality to the many
personal letters which parents address
to him as the Commander.in-Ch Chief of
| the United States army. Here is a
letter that came to him from a West
Virginia mother, who took It for
granted that he was just as much in.
terested in her fine soldier boys as
she:
Dear Mr.. Wilson: Perhaps you will
think me presumptuous to write let
ter to you, but we are all one thing
loyal Americans. simply wish to lei
you know what one West Virginia
woman has done for our country.
have sent two stalwart, strong, and
healthy boys to the front. Perhaps