Evening star., 1920-02-19
TRUST |NPRES|DENT
IS MUCH SHAKEN
OUTSIDE THE D. c.
Large Liability to the Demo-
Gratis, Comment
Indicates.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

bbNtS0kSSs
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Three days outside of Washington.
talking with people in all walks of
life. people in New York state. Mich
igan and Illinois, has given the writer
an idea Of how a cross-section of
American public. opinion feels about
the Wilson-Lansing break. And the
odd part of it is that on my return
to Washington I find hardly reali-
zation of the astounding political ef-
feet which the episode has had. The
National Capital has so many SEN
sations that it is often calloused to
cabinet designations and regards
them as mere flurries. 1t is true
that the editorial expression has been
almost unanimous in condemning the
abrupt dismissal of Secretary Lam
sing. but even editorials are some
times brushed aside in this intensely
political year by administration men
as an ephemereal hysteria. bound to
pass sooner or later.
p Not 50. however, is the judgment
of the average man 1 Encountered in
such places as Binghamton and Syra-
cuse in New York state. Detroit or
Chicago, and on the trains travelling
between these points. Never in my
own experience has it seemed to me
Gratis and republicans alike disapprove
OF what the President has done. but
the regrettable and significant fact,
however, 10 not mere condemnation
of what has happened. but wonder
about what will happen. No matter
where one went, the question that was
shot back was did the Presidents
illness have ANYTHING to do with that
Lansing letter."
ConnAence IN President shaken.
Try as one might to Offset such an
impression. there is no doubt that
every act Of President Wilson from
this time on will be subjected to an
embarrassing scrutiny. The incident
has made amaxine inroads on that in
tangible yet aIl-important factor In
dsses one. ssas !: foreeised eon poii-
tiSisas p$ ths. scppssite p4rty seem
and permitted to reap
the benefits Of the situation.
AasfnrDG0H1n 6ng the sdemocsakss-i
I, talked with q few leaders who are
dyss n,the, !, necl wilson men. & the
tho President's appeal in 1913 for
democratic CongressS and who will ex-
cuse nearly everything he has ever
done in seven years. But their frame
Of mind on the Lansing episode was
one Of heipisssness and bewilderment.
i
of the hero worshiping fans who have
admired all season long the brilliant
playing Of a heider., only to see him
throw the telling game in the world
series by dropping. the ball in the
ninth inning with three men on base
They have memories Of brilliant past
performance, and their chagrin is min
gled with disappointment Of the keen
est sort
PfQue anA Temper Suspected.
It Is curious. indeed. that much of
the feeling is that of pity. People
wonder why the President wasn't
Gle from passing out the Lansing let
ter. People suspect even that the
Presidents 'outburst on the Fiume
question is piQue and temper. I find
here in Washington little echo of
that. Foreign diplomats say, that the
effect Of the dismissal Of Lansing was
to create an impression in Europe that
the President was suffering from the
tedium Of a long illness and now they
believe his threat to withdraw the
treaty is part and parcel Of the cir
cumstances surrounding his illness. 1t
would be tragic II, Europe began dis
counting American action because Of
or imaginary.
But out In, the country. away from
there really isn't much
interest in the Fiume question. 1t is
a little too involved and intricate for
sudy ana he s fas too bnsv
attending to his domestic troubles
to read up on the quarrel with the
Jugoslavs. The expulsion Of Lansing
from the cabinet is something he can
about Lansing. If one wants to dis
cover how important a cabinet job
;s as a rule let him ask somebody
outside Of Washington to give the
names of half the members of the
cabinet Of this or any other Presi-
dent.
Credality In Taxed.
1t wasn't sympathy for Lansing or
even a passing concern about the
opinion with his superior officer that
occasioned the outburst on the part
of the average man. 1t was merely
that his credulity was taxed by the
which asked. rs it true" ETC.. that
cabinet meetings had been held dur
ing his illness?
It was a simple set of circum stances,
easy to grasp. People remembered
that when the President got sick the
stand yet why 1t hhouldn't have met.
even II technically 1t was wrong to
do so. They have grown accustomed
in the war period to seeing techni-
calites brushed aside in the interest
of the war emergency, and they still
expect government officials to go
ahead when there is no specific pro-
vision Of law and do the best thing for
the country. They seem to think it
was right to call cabinet meetings.
That's why it Is no exaggeration to
say Mr. Wilson hurt himself immeas-
urably with the people of the country
and damaged to an extent yet not
calculable his leade rship in the demo-
cratic party. Instead of being the
greatest asset for the campaign, Mr..
Wilson is at present writing a large
liability to the democrats. They
know it and they are wishing some
heroic measures might be taken to re-
cover lost prestige.
Copyright, 162O.)