South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-11-12
BY RAY STANDARD BAKER.
Copyright 1879

the peace conference none worried
the president as much as those re-
lating 20 Chinese japanese relation
ships and Of the Shantung PENN
sula-and none. finally, satisfied him
less Not one Of the problems he
had 10 meet at Paris serious as they
all were. did he take more personal
ly 20 heart than this. He told me
on one occasion that he had been
unable to sleep on the previous
night for thinking of IT,
Those last days before the treaty
was finished in late April were
among the hardest Of the entire
conference. How the president bore
up under the continual strain Of his
task at this time with all the other
demands upon him incident 20 his
great position. was truly a mystery.
Sometimes when 1 went up 20 see
him. in the evening, he looked Ut
tcriy beaten, worn out; but the next
morning he would appear refreshed
and eager 20 go on with the fight.
I fancied sometimes that ne had
discovered the mysterious formula
for unlocking the hidden inner an
ergies, about which Prof William
James wrote so persuasively in his
essay on the Energies Of Men" In
these days. although he occupied the
very center Of the worlds great
stage. with the eyes Of all humanity
watching every move he made. lis
teuing for every word he said. he
lived almost the life or an anchor
ite For days. there in late April,
he saw almost nobody not intimately
connected with the actual business
OF the conference.
Has No Recreation.
lie had no social life at all. no
recreation. scarcely any exercise.
Sometimes I'm the evening 1 used TO
md him in the study of his house;
a dark. richly furnished room look
ing out upon a little patch OF walled
garden with an American sentinel
pacing up and down the passage
way. y prisoner could not have
been more watchfully guarded. But
the prison-ce itself was a charm
ing place. The French owner of the
house had been an art lover and
there hung in this room a number
of rare old pictures; an interesting
Rembrandt. a DeIacrOix. an Hob
bema. several GOyas. j wondered
sometimes what Rembrandt would
have made of "A Sitting of the
-Four" If he had been there to paint
il. IL was curious room. this
study. seeming 20 have only one en-
trance. but one day 1 saw the presi-
dent step to the back Of the room
and open and go through what ap-
peared TO be a solid we'll filled
bookcase into a passageway leading
10 his bedroom beyond 1t was a
concealed door cunningly painted TO
look like "A case hlled with books.
Wifc's Aid a Factor.
Mrs. Wilson's sitting room was
opposite the presidents study. with
a small reception room between, and
her sunny window opened also on
the little grassy court. and above the
wall. across the street. one could
look into the upper windows OF the
house occupied by Mr. Lloyd
George. Some day there viii be
written an account Of the incalcula-
BILE help and comfort that Mrs. VIII
son was 20 the president in these
trying days. In every difficult stu
alton i'm Europe Mrs. Wilson COM
forted herself with fine dignity and
with genuine simplicity and graci-
BUSINESS OF manner.
The president got almost no exer-
else during this last hard squirt in
April. for there was literally no
time for IL. Occasionally ne would
sake "a short automobile ride i'm the
Bots with Mrs Wilson: sometimes "a
little brisk walk with Admiral Gray
son. And he would stand by the
open window. now aad then. in such
moments as ne could catch, and
breathe deeply. He did everything
possible to get every ounce of energy
out Of his bodily and mental ma
chine for his daily struggle
Sought All Information.
heard the assertion solemnly
made the other day tina; the trouble
with the president az Paris was that
ne W0ulQ nGL SEE the experts OF the
delegation; or would not hear all
sides Of the case. The fault. if any,
was really upon the other side He
tried too hard 20 set every angle.
every point OF view. DE was tempted
10 wait too long 20 be absolutely
sure of facts upon which he must
base his decisions. This. through
out his whole career. has been his
inclination-his fault. If YOU like.
Mr. Thomas W Lamont. who was
ore OF the financial experts Of the
commission, met this accusation Wig
orously in a recent public state
ment.
81 hear il repeated" he said.
that he was unwilling to take coun-
Gil with his delegation. That is un-
true. He constantly and earnestly
sought the advice OF his associates.
Indeed. 1t was he. beyond any 9TH
er man. who wanted all the facts
presented 10 the council TWO such
cases. among many. came TO my
memory. Both the Italians and the
Japanese. OF course. had seats IT,
the supreme council OF the i've
great powers and could naturally