The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1919-09-26
ANALYZING WILSON.

study. There are so many OF him. He
is man OF infinite variety-a man OF
many parts, so many in fact that when
we dissect him and take him apart
metaphorically speaking as it were,
we find our greatest difficulty in put
ting him together again in recognize
able character. This very fact in
trigues our interest and becomes a
most absorbing diversion.
Even casual observation and investi-
cation discovers for us that the pri-
mary classificiations to be made in
considering him is that he is subject
to two fundamental divisions. There
is Woodrow Wilson the man of words,
and Woodrow Wilson, the man Of
deeds. And between the two there is
no relation whatsoever, except in the
common quality of variety. His words
contradict themselves, just as his
deeds are a record of reversals of po-
sition, and again his words and deeds
are in constant conflict.
Before he became president we were
led to believe by his iterated and in
sisten emphasis that the cardinal prin-
cple of his administration would be
"pittiless publicity" directed upon aNi
in refulgent detail every act and
thought and purpose of the govern
ment. All the dark places, the dead
walls and the blind alleys that con-
cealed the inner mechanism of the
executive action and diplomatic in
trigue were to be thrown open, torn
down and cut through that the white
! light of truth might search out, dis
close and cure all the ills of state.
| That was a fine idea. 1t appealed so
strongly to us that Mr. Wilson was
elected president He has lived in
Washington and Paris now for over
six years and the light that failed
when he first entered the White House
has remained eXtinguished ever since.
There have been, to be sure, dark Ian
tern forays by investigating commit
tees of congress into the impenetrable
gloom that ershroudes every process
of administration and they have
glimpsed for us things that excite our
Imagination but so far have done lit
tie to inform our information.
We have by accident discovered that
when the president delivered his re-
nowned strict accountability" ulti-
natum to Germany (the steenth final
word to be followed by umpty others)
lis guileless secretary of state, the
famous Bryan, slipped over to the I'M
perial German embassy and knowing
ly whispered to Count Won Bernstorff
that the message was not to be taken
seriously by the dear Kaiser; it was
meant for home consumption.
At about the same time Carranza
was informed that he would be held
strictly responsible" and today, four
years later, he continues to pile re-
sponsbility upon responsibility with
perfect impunity and brazen impu-
dence.
Among the most amazing utterances
of Mr. Wilson's, in illustration of the
infinite variety of the man and the
Kaleidoscope process of his mind, are
those dealing with the vital question of
during the first Ia
months following the beginning Of the
Il
teen messages letters and speeches OF
his within that period divulges the
fact that he took Al different positions
on this single subject.
He said that our army was ample,
and that we did not have enough
troops to patrol the Mexican border
in time of peace.
He said that the world was on fire
and that sparks were liable to drop
anywhere and cause us to burst into
flame; and he also said that We were
in no immediate danger.
| He said that there was no immediate
crisis, and then again that he did not
know what the day might bring forth.
He said that we were on the verge of
maelstrom, and that there was no
special or critical situation.
He said that the danger was constant
and Immediate and that we were not
threatened from any quarter.
He said that we were in very crit
ical danger of becoming involved in
the great European struggle; and tina,
there was no need to discuss the ques-
ton of defense, or to get nervous OF
excited about it.
He opposed relying on the national
guard, and then reversed himself and
forced his then secretary of war Out
of the cabinet because Garrison would
not chase around the circle with him
He warned Germany in most trucu.
liant terms agaignst taking American
lives on the high seas, and two days
after the Lusitania was sunk by Ger.
man submarine, he told the world thai
country could be too proud te
fight"
All of these things were said before
November 1916.
1t was in that interesting summer
that we learned ''he kept us out Of
war"
War was a terrible ugly thing. Its
awful horrors were being enacted or
the bloody stage of Europe before ouI
fearful eyes and many Americans
dreaded to endure the suffering and
the sacrifices it entailed. So again
words chosen for the purpose won the
election for Woodrow, and within one
month of the Inauguration he who had
kept us out of war;, signed the dec.
L. 90