Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-16
COLONEL HOUSE, MAN
OF MYSTERY PASSING
Said to be Writing Finis TO Most
Extraordinary Public Career
of Any American.

New York, Jan. l3.-The announce
ment by Col. +. NJ. House that he 's tt
return TO "his home" in Texas for pro-
longed rest is interpreted as the hna
chapter of his extraordinary public csree'
during the Wilson administration.
Colonel House has for five years oeen
the most puzzling personality IN the nus
torv of the United States. His rise to
noyyer of almost autocratic pretensions
has constituted a mystery concerning
which there has been more speculation
than that relating 10 any other American
during the last 20 yesrs, ii not longer.
He has been described by his friends rs
A man Of the most remarkable attain
ments and placed IN the same category OF
prominence As Woodrow Wilson, the Ger
man Kaiser. Theodore Roosevelt, David
Ilovd George, Premier Clemenceau and
the other principal actors IN the great
drama of war.
DESCRIBED AS THE WARWICK.
His enemies and critics have described
him as sphinx" 'the Warwick OF MIR.
Wilson. ''the nfolder of the Presidential
mind" and rs a "Man of Mystery" His
friends have attributed to him intelli-
gencc and sagacity of the very highest
order. -,
His chief biographer has declared that
Colonel Holne is 3 man more msunder-
stood than mysterious. 1h,s biography,
bv the way, has played most important
part in the extraordinary rse to power OF
Colonel House and the sudden loss OF
that power under circumstances tiias
seem to be established.
The foreword Of the book Is admitted
to have impressed European statesmen
rs an accurat. reflection of the view held
of Colonel House not only Ivy the people OF
his own country, but by the President
himself. II said:
When the history of America IN these
times has been fully chronIcled, the sub
ect Of this biography will loom large as q,
great. silent force in shaping the action and
moding the destiny Of his country.
Because OF, trst, prediction, second
training and education abroad and third,
experience gained by many visits TO the
seat of governments IN Europe and IN
innate conferences with statesmen, Col.
Il. NJ. House approached the present
great crisis equipped AS no other man
with knowledgc Of international aiiais
and VISION of America 5 real place at tho
council table OF the nations.
skilled in knowledge Of domestic
politics by reason vi commanding posi-
tgoo IN his own State of Texas, Colonel
House WAS able most effectively 10 devote
hls rare gifts to the service of his country
4s the close personal friend and contdant
# President Wilson.
There are many features OF intense--
and at lines rsmstic-intensst IN this
intimate narrative which seeks to m
ttrprci to his own people this man who by
ai. silent fidelity, wise counsel and sound
ulcmcn, has established himself as one
i tho really great statesmen OF the United
~ts-tC~
MYSTERY STILL UwsoLvED,
MANY statesmen Of Europe undoubtedly
accented this estimate of Colonel House
u its face value since il apparently bad
{ he sanction of President Wilson, and !
there WAS no information ohtainable
pointing to the contrary.
Persons clcee to the President himself
lid not. however, manifest the same at
htude to creiulitv As some of the Euro
Eean leaders To them, IS slso to the
critics of MIR House, he has always re-
NAMED IS Man of Mystery
The coIonels friends knew him as
amet little gray man Of independent
means, frank ingenious. student ot
current events with penchant for politics
hat had given hlm certain degree 0i .
prominence in his home State at Texas up .
"a the tame that he came to New York .
he vesr before MIR Wilson WAS nOn9luatfd .
for President.
There seems 10 be no question that the
first meeting Of My Wilson and Colonel
was nevr colonel, by the
way, except of ths exas sort-was ar
-anged by William +. McComhs, who
managed the prenonmauon campaign
IF Mr. Wilson IN l4ll-l2, snd who was
hartman of the Democratic National
ommittee that directed the Presidential
contest for that psrty and which resulted
Ia Mr.. Wilson 5 election.
There Is no reason 70 question the IN
ornation that when Mi House came from
Texas he regarded the late Mayor Gay
,or. OF New York. as the most suitable
,andidate for the Presidency At any
ate. he fell in with Mr.. AicCombs and
he latter arrsnged j meeting between
dr Wilson, who was then governor Of
New jersey, and the gentleman from
Texas.
From that moment Colonel House be
amc an ardent supporter OF MIR Wilson
or the Presidency and probably rendered
,erylces that were highly esteemed by the
latter
Colonel House himself contributes an
version oi the beginning Of his
VIII Ft@lucHh " iisINs
which is set forth BY his biographer as
oilows:
We talked and talked. said Colonel
Iouse ii describing the meeting. We
new each other for congenIal souls 81 .
he very beginning. ] don remember just
that we said, but know we hit the high !
talked IN generaliteS, YOU
nov. We exchanged our ideas about
eraocracies of the world contrasted
he European democracies with the
Tmted States, discussed where we df-
cred which was best IN some respects
I'd which in Others.
THOUGHTS wERB IDENTICAL.
Our second meeting was even more
ehghtful We dined alone at the Gotham
nd talked together for hours. We talked
bout everything ] believe and this time
e could 60 into detslls and analyze our
II was remarkable We found
urselves III agreement III practically
very one Of the issues of the day.
ever met man whose thoughts ran 50
dentlcally with mine.
lit was an evening several weeks later