Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-11-12
MIR. WILSON MAY
ADDRESS congress.
Hope Entertained He Will Be
Well Enough to Appear for
Farewell Speech.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

President Wilson continues to improve
in health The statement Of Ambassa-
dor Davis on his arrival in London that
the President was a much sicker man
than the public knew is not considered
here to be in conflict with the optimis-
tic assurance given BY Secretary Colby
after seeing the President a week ago.
Mr.. Davis is believed to have been re-
ferring to an earlier period in Mr.. Will
sons Illness and not to recent weeks.
Everybody about the White House
about the Presidents ultimate recovery.
His improvement has been so much
more than was expected and so much
better than is ordinarily true Of cases
of the kind that Mr.. Wilson's extraordi-
nary vitality is now expected to win
the long struggle for life which he has
been waging for more than a year.
Instead of proving a shock to him.
! the election passed by without untoward
effect upon Mr.. Wilson's health. Those
who know the President best say this
is due to a sublime t.nfidence in the
Righteousness of the cause he fought
for and that his habit Of mind is not to
think of the incidents of two or three
years. but of the political movements
and tides OF an era or epoch. The
! President is represented as confident
that before many years he will have
been indicated.
On the other hand. the passing of
responsibility from his hands has
had the effect of relieving his mind
OF the many worries and burdens
which for eight years have beset him
friends expect that he will get
stronger and feel better. There Is
some hope that he may be well
enough to surprise everybody next
month by appearing in Congress for
his farewell address.
1t would make a dramatic picture
the President of the United States
being wheeled in an invalid's chair
through the corridors of the Capitol
which in earlier days he walked so
briskly. There was a time-when dis
cussion was going on as to Mr.. Will
ofhce-that the President is said TO
have considered seriously going to
congress and reading an address In
deed. none of the folks around the
White House will admit that at any
time during his illness have the Pres
ed by his weakened physical condi-
ton.
A curious sideIight on the popular
impression of Mr.. Wilson's condition
is the number of communications
which have poured in to the White
House constantly. asking the President
to write for magazines, weekly periodi-
calls. newspapers or Syndicates. All
seem to be predicated upon the idea
that Mr.. Wilson's mental vigor is un-
changed and that he will devote him
self to writing when he leaves the
White House. The general hope is that
Mr.. Wilson will write about the peace
conference or at least tell some Of the
unpublished incidents of his own adj
ministration of eight years But there
again the public may be surprised. for
while Mr. Wilson may occaAiohalfy
nave something to say on current af-
fairs. he is represented as being I'M
willing to, write about himself or the
incidents Of his own administration.
He is believed to be ready to write on
governmental subjects in an impersonal
sense. 1t. is suggested. for instance.
that he wall write books and ESSAYS
about constitutional government, out
lining still further the theories and
conceptions of popular government.
The President has theories of his
own concerning the changes that
the executive and legislative branches
OF the government more closely reA,
sponsive to the Will Of the peo,,..
and it is considered probable, that Ia,
will develop these ideas in his writ
lngs. using specific incidents of his
career only as Illustration.
For the present the outlook is that
Mr.. Wilson will be able to devote
himself to. Literary work .when~~hfs.
term Of Office expires. Everything.
however, on matters of health is a
gamble. and with Mr.. Wilson's adj
vanced age nothing is certain. How
ever, he will livesin Washing ton, prob
ably ON an estate outside the CITY.
and Will pursue his labors leisurely.
1t may, be long time before Wood
row Wilson writes anything for pub
LEGATION after he leaves the White
House
Copyright, l92O)