The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-09

ton of the committee For pr. Grayson
 had not permitted even Secretary Lans-
 ing to talk the Mexican situation over
 with the President. Nevertheless, they
 were faced with the dreadful alternative
 of running the risk of a relapse. or giv-
 ing the republican party authority to in
 form the country that the President was incapacitated for business. For Dr.
 Grayson and Mrs. Wilson knew that the republican party, seeking the retirement of the President, had consulted the most
 eminent republican counsel as to the authority of Congress to initiate proceed ings having for their object the formal declaration of the Presidents incompe- tency
 1 Dr. Grayson and Mrs. Wilson decided that it would be the wiser policy to per,
 init the subcommittee to interview the , Presirent-decided that it would be wiser
 to run the risk of relapse than to lend
 color to the wild theories and uncanny whispers which the republican party for ! 10 weeks had hugged to its bosom with
 abnormal glee and almost insane satis- | faction.
 | It was a case of pure nerve" with the President. Never before had President Wilson displayed such remarkable con trol of his faculties. Never before had
 he been more on his mettle. Never be- fore had he scored such a perfect tri-
 umph, and never before had he more completely made monkeys of those who sought his embarrassment.
 l It is recalled that the President au thorized Senator Falkland Senator FAN admits with satisfaction that he is an "implacable political roe of the Presf- l ldent," and declares, in expressing by in direction his sentiment toward the Presi-
 dent that he has the utmost respect for the office of President"-to inform a certain senator. meaning Senator Moses | of New Hampshire, that he was showing progress in his effort to overcome the effects of a brain lesion." The Presf- dent, it is remembered. remarked. "The
 senator will be surprised if not
 chagrined," Senator Fall perhaps saw and perhaps did not see the direction in (which the President thrust his sword of Irepartee. He would have said "Sena-
 tor Fall, you are surprised and disap-
 pointed to find that 1 am not mentally 1 incompetent"
 | There is little question but that Sena-
 tor Fall was animated more by desire sc
 settle the disputed point as to the Pres ident's physical condition than through
 any necessity of whispering into the ex-
 ecutive ear details of the machinations 1 of Venustiana Carranza. For no word thas come of strange stories, sensational
 facts, related by the senator. In truth, | if the average opinion is worth whilN | | President, was himself embarrassed. He
 returned to the capitol and to questix-
 ing newspaper correspondents confined l his remarks-not to the details of his ex- | pose-but to reiterations complimentary
 of the Presidents mental condition. | These are the underlying facts. If the
 republican party had proved to it's own l satisfaction that the President was in- l competent it could have appealed to the | country with startling effect it could
 have justified it's heartless course by de- claring "Americanism' was at stake. But inasmuch as the republican party I found the President not only possessed of mental strength, but possessed Of meic' | tai strength in such quality that without | difficulty he could make monkey of his would-be traducer, the republican party must face 8 country disgusted, a country shocked, and a country which cannot easily be made to rorget.
 l Thus by playing politics, the President | met the republicans playing politics. Even Senator Fall implacable foe as he | is admits that the President was vic | torious. But at what sacrifice the Pres | ident was victorious, remains, of course | to be seen.