Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-29
REVEALS INTIMATE
SIDE OF PRESIDENT
Secretary Tumulty Portrays the
Real Wilson as Seen by
Him.

characteristics of the President, never
hitherto discussed for publication by MIR;
Tumultv or any of the White House official
staff. The occasion WAS Democratic
mass meeting At Bethesda. Md,
suburb of Washington. :.
The most striking passage IN MIR.
Tumultv's speech, which was printed in
advance for circulation, described tho
physical condition of Mr.. Wilson resulting
from the paralytic stroke he suffered
whilNstumping for the League Of Nations
last fall After describing the upright,
vigorous and alert man., 60 years old,
but looking mot more than 45, SO llthe OF
limb 80 alert of bearing, so virile, de-
livering his war message TO Congress, Mr..
Tumulty continued:
The other picture is only three and
half wears later. There is parade of
veterans of the great war. They are to
be reviewed by the President on the east
terrace of the White House. In chair sits
n man, your President, broken In hoaith,
but still alert in mind. His hair is white,
his shoulders bowed his figure bent. he Is
63 wears old. but he looks older. IL is
Woodrow Wilson. Presently 10 the pro-
ecssion there appears an ambulance laden
with wounded soldiers, the MANNED, tho
halt and the blind. Z Az they pass they
salute, slowly, reverently. The President s
right hand goes UP IN answering salute.
| glanced at him. There were tears in his
eyes The wounded is greeting the wound
ed those in the ambulance, he in the
char. are, alike, cssusltes OF tho great
war
MIR. Tumulty told OF his love and nd
miration for Mr. Wilson.
lie has one great fault" he said.
THE grave fault to which | refer is that
he does not know how to play 70 the
gallery said Mr.. Tumulty. He does
not know how TO capitalize his virtues for
the front pages of the newspapers. de Is
drcadfully poor publicity material. He Is
the despair of the newspaper boys, who
want human interest stories. Human from
his heart 10 his finger tips, he does not
know how to put his humanity on ex-
hihition."
"As his secretary, and knowing the
value OF publicity TO man seeking votes.
| have often been vexed that he didn t
play up better, but aS his friend and adj
mirer have loved him because he didn't.
There WAS something too fine in his ma
turc for the dranatics and posturings OF
the political game as IL is usually played
Carving on President Wilson's appeal
for support Of the 'hcart Of the covenant,
Mr.. Tumulty said:
Tie has iasisted ON Article x - the
heart Of the covenant because he knew
that only BY combined action could the
territorial integrity and political inde-
pendence of nations be preserved from
aggressive attack by ambition. nations.
In h> insistment on Article Y Presi-
dent Wilson wished to foreetall the neces-
nty az the United States going TO war by
making the United States a participant
IN a plan to prevent the beginning of
such = WAY He wished TO stop the next
war before il should begin. In all the in
rlncerltics of American politics, there
I. nothing 70 match the in.inccritv Of the
Republican contention that the League
oi Nations viii promote war.
Among incident. on which Mr.. Tiunulty
drew To relate his subject he recalled the
reaction ~ the President 70 the applause
which greeted delivery of his WAY message
To Congress on April 6, 1917.
ION that fatefl day." Mr.. Tumulty
said, Il rode with him back from the
& spitol 70 the White HOUSE, the echo of
IN. applause still ringing in my ears. For
. while he sat silent and pale in tho Cah-
~ was they were applauding. 1t mean.
seems 70 applaud that.
That simple remark" Secretary Tu-
multv continued, "is one key 20 An under
standing Of Woodrow Wilson, who, he
said. hates and breads war with all the
fihres Of his human soul.
As further evidence Of the Presidents
sense of responsibility for the blood shed
by American soldiers Mr.. Tumulty told
cf the day when news came OF Amc-ioan
ensualtlcs at Vera Cruz in 1914.
'N hen the news came, he said, tho
President was QUIT all day. He went
about his business methodically, with MS
usual clear judgment and prompt de-
oision., but that night he sat silent for
long time. At last he said: i cannot get
IL of my heart II had 70 be done. II was
right Nothing else wss possible, but
cannot forget that II was ] who had 10
order those Young men 70 then deaths.
Earlier that year, when word came
"that German vessel, laden with mu-
nitionsls as on it's way 10 Mexico. Presi-
dent u ilson talked over the telephone
wires With Secretaries Bryan and Daniels,
and Mr.. Tumulty said he al.o was on the
telephone during the conversation. When
he situation had been stated 10 the Presi-
dent. he said, the voice came back clear
and firm Order admiral Mayo TO take
Neru Cruz at once.
Just before ! cut of the connection
Secretary Tumulty continued, II said
word TO the President about the tragedy
Of It's all. His voice responded, no longer
clear but muffied, as when one chokes
back a sob: What do you think of it,
Tumulty? 1t means death II breaks
my heart. but II must be done.
Secre tary Tumulty recalled also Mr.
" iIson determination TO ride III the
funeral procession of the marines and
sailors Killed at Vera Cruz, when the
bodies were brought 10 New York. Dis
quoting rumOrs that an attack was
planned on his life had reached secret
service men, MIR. Tumulty said, and
''one undertook TO argue with him, say
ing, You viii show all proper respect
by appearing in the reviewing stand.
The country cannot afford 20 lose its
President.
His reply was: The country cannot |
afford to have coward for President |
This was ms brief and final answer.
He rode in the procession"
In contrast to MIR Wilson's self-pro- |
claimed passion for peace" Secretary |
enge came from Germany to America |
hen the American mind was ready for
r. this same Woodrow Viii
became the most uncompromising
vocate Of the most stringent measures
conducting the war thereby to hasten
end of the war. !"
The speaker recalled the Presidents
ech TO officers Of the Atlantic Fleet
4