The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-29
HUMILITY DRAWS AN INTIMATE PICTURE IF WOODROW WILSON
Says President Strangely Mis- understood By Some and Violently MiSrepresented
 By Others
By Associated Press

A on ten years asAssis private secretary and touched helssxAnd there with aith- erto unpublished incidents in the Pres idenfs official life. was drawn tonight by Joseph P Tumulty, speaking at a democratic mass meeting just over the line in Maryland.
 Mr. Tumulty described the President as "a man as strangely misunderstood by some and as violently misreprasent- ed by others as any man in the history of American politics." He had ,ong desired he said, to tell the country what he knew of Mir. Wilson's charac- ter, but had refrained in the Knowledge that the President, who shrinks from self-exploitation would resent exploit ation by his friends"
 With the approach of Mr Wilson's retirement to private life however, Secretary Tumulty continued, it seems to me not improper that just before the curtain rises on the last act, I mod IS fly step out from my obscurity in he wings and tell the audience a lew things about the leading man in this great drama of the past eight years"
 Recalling his ten years in the 'inti- mate relationship of a private secre- tary,' the speaker said.
 ! may be presumed to know at 4. ast as much about him as the gentlemen who discourse volubly of him in Pull man smokers. on the golf links and in Inc clubs. who assure you that all hey say Is fact--for they had 1t on the word of friend of friend who passed through Washington once and heard a man say that another man said etc"
 Among incidents which he drew to illustrate his subject. MT Tumulty re- called the reaction of the President to the applause which greeted delivery ef his war message to Congress on April 6, 1917.
 APPLAUSE SEEMED STRANGE
 on that fatefuI day.. Secretary
 iumuity said, II rode with him
 back from the Capitol to the White
 noose, the echo of the applause
 stii ringing in my ears For a
 while he sat silent and pale in the
 inet room. At last, he said:
 Think what 1t was they were np-
 Psaudin<. It means death for our
 young men. How strange it seems
 to applaud that's
 That simple remark" Secretary Tn. muity continued lis one key to an mn derstanding of Woodrow Wilson" who nc said. hated and dreaded war with all of the flores of his human souJ.r
 As 1urther evidence of the Presi. denrs sense of responsibility in the E'oousnso hy Amercan soldiers. MT. IF t nui.y told Of the day when news came q Amercan casualties at Vera Crux in I9ls
 When the news came the President was quiet all day. He went about his business methodicaily, with his usual clear Judgment and prompt decisions. but that night he sat silent for a lonr tune. At last he said: T cannot get It on my heart. It had to be done. It was right. Nothing else was possible. but cannot forget that it was who hs 1 to order those young men to their Geaths.'s
 Earlier that year, when word cane
 that German vessel. laden with rnu- nitions, was on it's way to Mexico. tresident Wilson talked over the tAla- phone wire with Secretaries Bryan and ianies, and Mir. Tumulty said he also As on the telephone during the con- versAtson. When the situation had heen stated to the President. he said. the voice came back. clear and firm. order Admiral Mayo to take Vera Cruz at once'-
 TT MUST BE DoNE-
 lust before l cut off the connec- tfcn, Secretary Tunulty continued. "I said a word to the President about tba 'rasedy or 1t all His voice responded.
 ~.S<@As bot InQlleQ, as when one chokes back a sob: What do va, think of it. Tumulty? It means death It breaks my heart, but it must be done.'-
 Secretary fumulty recalled also Nr Wilson's determination to ride in tha funeral procession Of the marines and sailors Killed at Vera Cruz when the ooles were brought to New York Dis ou,eting rumors that an attack was planned on his life had reached secret servfce men. Mir. Tumulty said ..one uhaertook to argue with him, saving: Aou VIII snow all proper respect by a appearing in the reviewing stand. The country cannot afford to lose it's Presi-
 His reply was: The country cam Lot afford to have a coward for Prasi- dent.' This was his belief and final answer He rode in the procession
 The sterncss of Woodrow Wilson his secretary declared, was "just the reverse side of his humane nature,'' and made ncthing more natural" than he should rave oecome the champion of small na. .ions, me President's insistence upon Article x of the league covenant was ex- psained as wish to forestall the neces. sity Of the United States going to war bv making 1t participant s'in a plan ro prevent the beginning of such var
 READY WHEN TIME CAME
 he wished to stop the next war before 1t should hegin,' Mir. Tumulty said. 1n contrast to Mir. Wilson's self-prociaimed passion for peace. Secretary Tumulty de- ciared that when the challenge came from Germany to America, when the American mind was ready for war this same Woodrow Wilson became the most advocate of the most strsngent measures for conducting the var thereby to hasten the end of the var The speaker recalled the presi- nenrs speech to officers of the Atlantic fieet in 1917. published afterwards m which he said:
 am willing to sacrifice half the navy IT necessary Great Britain and we to- gether have to crush the submarine l nest"
 Experts said it could not be done. The rivihan. Wilson. said 1t could be done, | must pc done, and it was, It was the | cvihan Wilson who preached the plan l Tor combining the allied powers in the | west under the supreme command Of | CsenerAl Foch in order that all the allied | 'Vrcas could Do concentrated on the Ger 1 nan forces to crush them Tn his nina :. tAA supreme object of this war was to ! Bad war" | The grave fauIt' which Secretary Tu- | TKhlty asserted he found with the Presi- | sxast was his ignorance of .shsw to play 1 V the gallery"
 { CAN'T CAPITALIZE VIRTUES
 He does not know how to capitalize his | FfTSues for the front pages of the news | 1Spers. he said. He is equally poor | ,r olicity material Human from his heart | sx the Anger tips he does not know how !e put his humanity on exhibition.
 A his friend and admirer. I loved | aifg better because he didn't"
 xhe secretary told of a Journalist who