The Washington herald., 1919-04-20

the President. which is a dangerous
attitude. 1t is deadly. An apoc-
ryphal story is circulating in Paris.
with French sanction, to the effect
that the polite attitude of the
French press-a distinct and quick
change from their attitude of open
guying of the President in January
and February-comes because of a
remark made by President Wilson
to the effect that il the French press
did not quit hammering him he
would pack up the conference in his
old tobacco box and take It to Lon
don. Hence, Alphonse and CASTOR be-
gan editing the Wilson columns of
the French administration papers
The story is probably untrue. but at
least it illustrates the French con-
temporaneous opinion of the Presi-
dent. But true or false. there is no
way of verifying it. The reporter
who would ask the President about
it would be stricken dead by the in
ternal explosion of his own gall!
Loves Publicity.
For no American President in a
generation has hidden his own per-
sonality behind the screen of his Of
fee as has President Wilson. He
loves the white light OF pitiless pub
licity for the other fellow. But no one
has Stunned 1t so much for himself
as President Wilson. Taft didn't mind
It: ask him il it was true that he
hooked up his wife's dress, and he'd
laugh and chuckle and return the
soft answer. Roosevelt was always
making public demonstration of his
human qualities. II he strafed an en-
emy he did it On the steps OF the
White House when the Marine Band
was playing in the garden, and he
talked to beat the band, so that the
whole world might know il. Grover
Cleveland was perfectly willing to talk
about the number of drinks they had
aboard the Mayf1ower down the bay.
But after a conflict, grimy and slithery
with the blood OF his foe, President
Wilson loves TO discourse about the
sweet accord. and the fraternal unan-
unity of the session. Always the cur
tain folding slowly back from an or
stage murder. discloses the white
hands of President Wilson clasped in
an attitude of prayer! Yet his as
saults always are righteous; and are
as the lawyers say affected by their
public use" He does not use his
great power for personal ends. Huerta
and Wilhelm and Pichon had earned
the displeasure of the high gods; they
had it coming, Why the President
should be ashamed of his kill is mex
plicable. save by his inherent desire
to avoid the spotlight.
Here is a case in point: Supposed
the President should desire to incor-
porate into the league of nations a
clause which would guarantee to the
Jew religious liberty all over the
world. Then suppose that he heard
that the Japs would insist, il that
clause were presented, in adding to
1t a phrase which would guarantee
to all races equality of opportunity
In all lands-including immigration
to America; then supposing that 1t
were wise to shelve both proposi-
tions and present the league cove
nant without either, Would the
President expain why he had SHE'D
Not for a minute. He would regard
such an explanation as the height of
improperly; the fact that 1t might
help him politically would not occur
to him. The impropriety of disclos-
ing a secret would appaI him. Now
in this purely suppositious case we
have a key to the reason why the
President abandoned the first of hiss
fourteen points: Open covenants
openly arrived at; the publicity
would affect him.
Leads Orchestra.
Tie loves the children of the
light, but he doesn't play with
them! If a reporter would dare to
tell the story (if one could imagine
so improbable a story of how
Premier Hughes reacted to Presi-
dent Wilson's demand that the Pa
cific Island should be held under
mandatory, and not turned over to
Australia; of how the premier bolt
ed the room with the secretaries 4
running after him to haul him
back, OF how they finally got him
back and smoothed things over.
President Wilson would deny 1t and
have the reporter hanged; because
1t anected him. Not because it was
discreditable to him; not because IL
might have leaked from him: hut
because for second the spot light
rested upon him. Yet in Milan. at
the opera Sunday night too mind
you) the President rose in his box
and led the orchestra with an Amer
lean flag! But that was in public.
that also was at time when the
wine of popular acclaim was in his