Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-27
COLLAPSE OF
WILSONLONC.
FEAR OF AIDS.
Endless Strain Tears Down
Vitality-Must Take
Indefinite Rest.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial to The Argus.)

Enroute to Washington, D. c.,
Sept. 27.-President Wilson will
not be back at work for a consid-
erable' length of time - nobody
aboard the presidential train can
&predict with accuracy just how
ISg. All engagements have been
Cancelled The king and queen of
Belgium and other distinguished
visitors will tour the country first
and call on the president after
their travels. The industrial con-
ference scheduled for Oct. will
be held at the White house but
President Wilson in all probable
ity, will not be permitted by his
physicians to attend In fact. the
president may be removed from
Washington to some quiet health
resort for the next few weeks.
His Most Serious Illness.
The presidents nervous break
down is perhaps the most serious
illness he has ever had for it
comes upon him at a time when he
has spent almost all of his reserve
strength. He will be 63 years old
10 years an inconceiVable strain
has been superimposed upon 9TH
er years of ailing SO that his close
friends have marVeled at his en-
durance thus far. Woodrow Will
son was never a robust individual
He worked indefatigably as a col
lege professor and frequently put
so much energy into his lectures
that hn Y1end hfvr,eCTf
ly each day. It was in 1906 that
he suffered a nervous reaction and
was given leave of absence from
the presidency of Princeton uni
verSiAy. He travelled in Europe
aRR came back to Princeton re-
,Teshed. He soon was engrossed
however, in the bitterest fight of
his career-the graduate school
controversy at Princeton - and
was compelled again to interrupt
his lectures and take a vacation.
this time at Bermuda. Mr.. Wilson
suffered from neuritis in his arms
and hands, due very largely to the
years spent in writing books.
Compelled To Use Typewriter.
1t was this aiIment which COM
PEELED Linn to take up the type
writer as a means of expression,
something he has used almost con-
stantly since When Mr.. Wilson
resigned from Princeton to become
a candidate for governor of New
Jersey, he entered vigorously into
a fight against the election of
James Smith as senator and thus
began a series of mental strains
CuPh Il tho GtrnprU1n with Re-
publican legislature to get a re-
form program through and then
speechmaking tours in the presi-
Dental primary contest. This dove
tailed into the presidential cam
paign of 1912 itself and when Mr..
&ilson was elected he did not re-
liMSuish the gOveTnship of New
Jersey until three days before he
was inaugurated president. With
the exception of a few weeks in
Bermuda with his family, he had
been continuously at work for two
years when the cares of the White
house began to accumulate He
had a hard fight on tariff and cur
rency legislation and then came
the seizure of Vera Cruz. followed
soon by the outbreak of the Eu-
ropean war in 1914, which made
the first Is months of his term ex-
acting.
Long Strain of War.
Throughout the first two years
of the war, the Lusitania contro-
versy and neutrality problems
weighed heavily on the presidents
mind, and then came the prepared
ness tour and later the presiden-
tial campaign Of 1916. Americas !
entrance into the war a few months ,
later piled high the duties and
tasks imposed by congress on the /
executive While war preparations !
we're at their height decisions af- |
fecting the placing of American |
troops into battle and naval ques- |
tions of moment were referred to |
the president from abroad. Mr.. !
Wilson spent many long hours at |
night cOding and DECIDING conf |
Dental messages himself. Per- !
ha.Ds the climax of it all came |
when Germany asked for an arm
istice and the president began to
exchange notes that led to Ger
many's capitulation. In the midst /
of this excitement. so great was
the presidents anxiety for a league
of nations and the making of the
terms of the treaty of peace that
he asked the country to return a
majority in congress as a vote of
confidence. His determination to
hasten the peace conference and
go to Europe himself was the
iCOnfiu.,aI ~, paga E1orr+aeD