New-York tribune., 1921-10-31
The Tumulty Confession

Tumulty serves the worst-Mr. Will
son or General Pershing or himself.
He pretends to be justifying the
action of Mr.. Wilson, but succeeds
only in revealing his jealousy and
political fear; ne tries to screen his
former chief behind the uniform Of
General Pershing, and thus to shift
responsibility for what Tumulty ad-
mits was dirty deal, but lamentably
fails; finally, by suppressions and
perversions Of the record and his
present rush to print-well, he writes
book which will scarcely be a pre-
cious legacy to his family.
General Wood was one of the two
great awakeners of the nation; the
father of conscription and the crea-
tor of the Plattsburg system, without
which the war would probably have
been lost before our aid came; the
highest ranking officer of the army,
and, next to Roosevelt, the man our
allies wanted to see to revive
morale that dropped because Of whis-
pers that this country was not in
earnest. Yet he was stopped as his
foot was on the gangplank-not al
lowed to go over the seas as sub
ordinate divisional commander, or in
any capacity.
Tumulty says he telephoned pro-
test to Mr.. Wilson, telling him that
the cruel stoppage would unfavor-
ably affect public opinion, and that
Mr.. Wilson replied: II do not care
a damn for the criticism of the coun-
try"
And then Tumulty has the colossal
impertinence to assert that Mr.. Viii
son was swayed by no personal con-
sideration-did what he did solely
because General Pershing had not
asked for the presence of General
Wood in Europe. Is it strange that
General Pershing did not ask for
General Wood? 1t was essential to
the overseas commander to have the
support of the President, his consti-
tutional commander in chief. He
did not need a brick house to fall on
him to know that confidence at the
White House in his abilities would
not have long survived had he not
done some mind reading.
"The whole trouble in the Wood
matter" fatuously says Tumulty,
"arose out Of the apparent humilia-
tion of General Wood due to his re-
call after he had taken his division
to New York, preparatory to sailing
for the other side" Tumulty has q
short memory. This confidant Of Mr..
Wilson does not remember how the
President Illegally forbade the Cen
eral Board of the Army and Navy
to meet when General Wood was a
member Of It; he does not recall that
when the war came General Wood
was sequestrated in Charleston, and
later offered choice of service in
Hawaii or the Philippines; or was it
Guam? He has forgotten how Gen.
eral Wood was hailed before q medI-
cal board in mean ATTEMPT To es-
tablish that he was an invalid. The
gangplank episode does not stand
alone-it was merely elimination
Of series of events whose signif-
cance and whose motive the country
thinks it understands.
Tumulty says he did not consult
the ex-President before publishing
defense which amounts to a confess
sion, and he Is sure Mr.. Wilson will
be displeased. Well he may be. He
will have sympathy If he cries out
against so inept q defender. If there
Is one subject that Mr.. Wilson may
be excused for not wishing to discuss
or to hear discussed it is his treat
ment OF General Wood.
But doubt arises whether the lame
explanation is wholly Tumulty's
own. Turn to page SO of George
Creel's book "The War, the World
and Mr.. Wilson" and you will find,
almost word for word, the same ex-
PLANTATION. If the Tumulty version is
original where did Mr.. Creel earlier
get one practically identical? Yet
in summing up reasons there is
difference. Mr.. Creel acknowledges
that Mr.. Wilson felt deep animosity
toward General Wood. According to
Tumulty, the White House loved him
and kept him at home only because
Of an almost romantic sense of duty.
AS to the clods Tumulty casts on
the grave of Col mel Roosevelt, an
other not deemed worthy, the story
- .,n,,s;1~ Nr Wilson xph0 early