The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1918-06-26

About the middle of April Congress
man William Schley Howard sought an
interview with Pre- ;iient Wilson to
talk over the mat eT of his entering
the race for Senator from Georgia, III
that interview, sought by Mr.. Howard
the President stated that his choice of
a candidate for that race was Hon
William j. Harris, and he hoped that
the loyal vote against Senator Hard
wick would not be divided.
ThereUpOn Mr.. Howard voluntarily
promised the ? resident that, he would
not run, but would support Mr.. Harris
because he wa the Presidents choice.
A few days later Mr. Howard broke
his promise 10 the President and be-
came a ca Iidate. Nobody could eX-
press he Presidents feelings at Mr.,
Howar d's conduct as the President did
in his pointed two line letter of April
II. saying only:
Your letter just received disap-
points mt very seriously indeed and |
very much regret it,
A little while later the Washington
correspondent of the Atlanta Consti-
tuition sent an article to his paper
about that interview and instead Of
stating therein that the President eX-
pressed his choice for Hon. William J.
Harris as the candidate for Senator in
Georgia. stated that the President said
he would be neutral as between any
two loval candidates against Thomas
w. Hardwick Nobody but the Presi-
dent and Mr. Howard could have
known what took plaCe in the confer
ence between them. as no one else
was present Mr. Howard saw the
artic'a sent out by the newsnaper cor
resrordent and made no attemnt to
correct tho false version of the inter
view He approved il as "the Gods
Truth" The President also saw the
nCwsnanor article and on Anril 20 he
wrote NJ" Howard to the effect that
he, NJ. Howard, knew the version of
the interview conveyed hv the article
was false. ord in very emnhatic terms
tho President asked Mr.. Howard
-',o'',o-' o. not he intended to correct
tlr false impression loft among the
,~~--'"r N ehn Constitution. In renlv
- - p-o~idnnt Mr.. Howard admit
~ that tho Presidents letter Every
Greatly distressed him admitted that
the newspaper article conveyed = false
account Of the Presidents attitude
and admitted that he and his friends
knew that the President Thought Mr..
Harris should make the race AGAINST
tho Junior senator from Georgia in
preference to an" one else.
The statements Of Mr. Howard and
The President speak for themselves;
COMMITTEE on Authorizations House
of Representatives Washington, ID.
c.. Anril, 1918
"NIv Dear Mr.. President:
you may recall that | stated to you
that if you wished it ! would not be-
come a candidate for the senate. but
would do all l could to help elect the
candidate whom you selected to carry
our cause to the people OF georgia
This is written with the hope that
Won will permit me to withdraw this
promise to you.
with great respect, am,
"Faithfully your friend.
"WIJIIAM SCHLEY HOWARD
"The White House, Washington, April
12, 1918.
"RTy Dear Mr. Howard:
"Your letter Just received disap-
points me very seriously indeed and |
very much regret it.
sincerely yours,
"WOODROW WILSON"
"To Hon. William S, Howard,
House of REPRESENTATIVES.
"The White House, Washington, April
90. 1918.
"My Dear Sir:
MY attention has been called to a
recent communication of Mr.. Hollo-
mon to the Atlanta Constitution CON
corning our recent conversation at the
Executive Office in the interview which
YOU sought with me. Mr.. Hollomon'