The evening world., 1920-02-17

! vice when asked for it and TO take
orders and carry them out according
to the wishes Of their chief.
The war has unquestionably had q
depressing eftect on Mr., Wilson'S
spirits. Little things provoked him,
For instance on the boat going over
to France he took considerable Of
tense because the George Washington
/ carried a number of minor oficials OF
the State Department stan. He held
Secretary Lansing responsible for this
and fretted the first two days out at
sea and would not receive the Secre-
! tary Of State simply because his in
, structions about keeping the number
on the boat down 10 a minimum had
not evidently been carried out. Just
why Mr.. Wilson wanted the whole
boat to himself. people couldn't un-
derstand: nor was IT comprehensive
why the President allowed only 4
handful Of people to accompany him
on the return journey and left lots OF
space in the vessel. which 1t had
been thought would be occupied by
returning troops, nut the boat was
only half-fflled when it started from
Brest and the only explanation which
anybody could deduce from the
strange demeanor OF the President
was that he wanted TO be all alone
and didn't want to be annoyed.
IRRiTAsILITY KNOWN ONLY TO
THE INNER CIRCLE.
Instances, trivial indeed, could be
cited to show that the President was
weighed down by odiclal burdens to
an extent that the public has little
known and that gradually he has de-
vsloped, an irFitability which has not
beSn known except to the inner circle.
Twice on the western trip which he
took Immediately after his return
from Europe the President showed
his temper, In st. Louis, just as he
was about 10 begin his speech at
night, a photographer took a fash
light Now Mr.. Wilson has had that
happen to HIM many times before,
out on this occasion he blurted out
angrily.
I'VE ought not to care how we look.
but how we act" and the crowd,
which had been amused, as it always
is. by a sudden flashlight picture.
stopped its laughter abruptly aud
wondered. Again. at salt Lake, a
fortnight later, the President was
talking about Article X. and asked
a historical questionable kind that
the crowd isn't suppoSed TO answer
but Mr.. Wilson'S delivery was 50
forceful and he had been getting
such enthusiastic applause at the end
of almost every sentence that some
body applauded in the wrong place.
I am sure IT was unintentional. The
President stopped short and issued
an angry rebllke in the direction from
which the applause came:
Better walt TIL you hear it all be-
fore you applaud" was his reprimand,
and the crowd wondered.
GOT HIS DANpER UP DURING
WHITE HOUSE VISITS.
Time was when Mr.. Wilson schooled
himself to reprsss his temper. Once
or twice when delegations visited him
at the White House he got his dander
up, but usually the stenographic
record OF what was said never was
issued and the public was none the
wiser. 1t has ben noticed, however.
that in the last two years the Presi-
dent has been given every now and
then to Incorporate expressions.
In a nutshell, his duties and his
burdens got on his nerves. They are
still on his nerves. Woodrow Wilson
three years ago would never have
done what Woodrow Wilson is doing
to-day. Cabinet members have led
han astray and gotten ham into worse
difficulties and uncomfortaale moods
than did Secretary Lansing's venture
in protecting the President from ad-
verse criticism when he was unable
to discharge the duties of his Office
The man that has long stood for
the in0fiiCiency OF the Post ONCE De-
partment and the public CritichBm of
Secretary Baker, Secretary Daniels
and OthUs in the Senate and House,
whom he has been accustomed to
support without regard TO public
opinion, is not the same who dismissed
Robert Lansing as Secretary OF State.
He Is a man upon whom the burdens
OF the war and peace Jobs have left
a residue Of nervousness, ifY-ita'bihty
and intolerance that will be repressed
with diniculty as Woodrow WGlon
seTN-es the remaining twelve months
OF hls term.