The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-10-29
TUMULTY PAINTS
WILSON PICTURE IN
POLITICAL SPEECH
Story Of Presidents Life By
His Private Secretary
Told in MARYLAND

Washington. Oct. 2S--An intimate pie
ture of the manner of man this Wood
row Wilson really is" based on ten
years as his private secretary and
touched here and there with hitherto
unpublished incidents IN the president $
official life. was drawn tonight By JOS
eph p. Tumulty. speaking at Demo-
cratic mass meeting. just over the line
in Maryland.
Mr.. Tumulty described the president
as 4 man strangely misunderstood by
some and as violently miSrepresentCd By
others is amy man in tho WhuIc hiStoly
Of American politics.
With the approach of Mr.. Wilson'S
retirement 10 private life" Secretary
Tumulty continued, 1T seems to mt not
improper that Just before tho curtain
rises on the last act. I modestly step
out from my obscurity in the wings and
tell the audience u few things about the
leading actor in this great drama OF
the past eight years"
Recalling his ten years in the init
mate relationship OF private sccre-
tary," the speaker said:
II may DO presumed to know at least
as much about him as the gentlemen
who discourse volubly OF him in Full
the clubs who assure you that al they
say is fact. for they had II on the word
OF friend Of a friend who passed
through Washington once and heard
man say tnat anOlnor SdFOs GU.
Reaction TO Applause
Among incidents on which he drew to
illustrate his subject. Mr.. Tumulty re-
called tho reaction OF the president to
the applause which greeted delivery OF
his war message TO congress on April
3, 1917.
"On that fateful day." Secretary Tum-
ulty said. II rode with him back from
the capitol to the White House, tho echo
OF the applause still ringing in my ears.
For a while he sat silent and pale In
Think what 1t was they were APP
plauding. 1t means death for our young
men How strange 1t seems to applaud
"That simple remark" Secretary Tum-
ulty continued. sis one key TO an under
standing OF Woodrow Wilson," who, he
said. hated. and dreaded war with all
the fibers of his human soul"
AS further evidence OF the presidents
by American soldiers. Mr.. Tumulty told
OF the day when news ca ne OF Aneri-
eau casualties at Vera Cruz In 1914.
when the news came" he said, "ths
president was quiet all day: He went
about his business methodically. with
his usual clear judgment and prompt de-
cisions, but thin night he sat silent for
a long time. At last, he said: I cannot
get 1t OF my heart 1t had to be done.
1t was right. Nothing else was possible
had TO order those young men to their
Deaths"
Earlier that year when word came
that German vessel laden with NUM-
ident Wilson talked over the telephone
wire with Secretaries Bryan and Daniels
and Mr.. Tumulty said he also was on the
telephone during the conversation.
When the situation had heen stated to
back, clear and arm: Order Admiral
Mayo to take Vera Cruz at once"
Just before I cut of the connection"
Secretary Tumulty continued. i said
word to the president about the tragedy
Of 1t all. His voice responded, no longer
clear but muffled. as. when one chokes
hack a sob. What do you think Of It,
Tumulty? 1t means death. It breaks my
heart, but 1t must 30 Done.
Wilson and the Lssgna
The sternness Of Woodrow Wilson, his
secretary declared. was Just the reverse
side OF his human nature" and made
nothing moro natural" than that he
should have become the champion OF
small nations The presidents insist
enant was explained as a wish to fore
stall the necessity Of the United States
going to war by making 1t participant
in a plan to prevent the beginning Of
such q war"
He wished to stop the next war be-
In contrast to Mr.. Wilson's self-pro-
claimed passion for peace" Secretary
Tumulty declared that when the chal-
lepge came from Germany to America.
when the American mind was ready for
war this same Woodrow VIII
son became the most Incorporating
advocate Of the most stringent measures
for conducting the war. thereby to has
ten the end Of the war"
1T was he" Secretary Tumulty con-
tinued, who insisted on mining the
North Sea to cut of the German hor-
nets. Experts said that It
could not be done. The civilian Wilson
said It could be done. must be done, and
II was. It was the civilian Wilson who
preached the plan Of combining the al
lied powers in the West under tho su-
preme command Of General Foch in or
der that all the allied forces could be
concentrated on the German forces to
crush them.
In his mind. the supreme object Of
this war, was to end war"
Physical Picture
Two final pictures. Mr.. Tumulty said
he desired to draw. the first. that OF the
president in 1917, "a straight. vigorous.
slender man, active and alert"
"He is sixty years OF age" he said,
but he looks not more than forty-five,
so 1.-THE of limb. so alert Of bearing, so
virile. 1t Is Woodrow Wilson reading
his great war message.
THE other picture is only three and
a half years later. There Is 4 parade of
veterans OF the great war. They are TO
he reviewed BY the president on the east
terrace of the White House. In L chair
sits a man. your president, broken in
health. but still alert in mind; Ills chair
is white his shoulders bowed. his figure
bent. he IS siNty-three years old, but