The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-03-04
Interesting Facts That Have
Not Been Given
Publicity

WASHINGTON, March / (Associ
ated PrcsS) Woodrow Wilson leaves
the White House today to seek health
and rest in a life of practical retire
ment for a few months, and then resume
the practice of law. Although it
has been disclaimed for him that he
would cut himself off from public men
and affairs it is known that for several
months at least he will do little but take
recreation. At his new home recently
acquired here he viii walk in the spa
cious garden, and sit in the sunshine.
lie will motor over the rolling Virginia
hills where he used to play golf, and
occasionally visit the theatre.
After few months of rest. the for
mer president will resume Il profession in
which he has not been active for 40 years.
lie does not expect to write a his
tory of the peace conference although
he has IN his private papers the great
est fund of material in the world on the
subject. lie does expect TO pursue his
ideals of world peace, just in what man
ner probably no one else knows.
The second Democratic president since
Andrew Jackson to fill two successive
terms, Mr.. Wilson's eight years in the
w ulle Rouse carried MN through the
range of human emotions. lie was al
most blindly idolized and cordially
hated. Profound peace, the most ter
rible of wars, death of n wife and help
mate; courtShip and marriage, and final
ly lingering illness all came in turn to
brighten or darken his days. Eight
years of it whitened his hair. racked his
frame and impaired his physical vigor,
but did not rust his mind.
Characterized by his friends as much
a wounded veteran of the World war
as if be had been shot in battle, he goes
back To private life today regarded by
his partisans as a living sacrifice 70 his
ideals.
Woodrow Wilson was not well man
when he took up the presidency. He was
decidedly a sick man. He WAS threat
ened with brights disease which physi-
clans diagnosed as having been brought
about by n particular treatment for fire.
quent head colds to which he and the
iirst Mrs. Wilson We're subject. The
wife died soon after, but his case yielded
to care.
Some years before that. Mr.. Wilson
had suffered a thrombosis. in one of his
legs. 1t was the lodging of blood clot
in an artery, but because of its location
not serious. 1t was. however. a COM
plant of the same nature which caused
his breakdown in 1919, when the eliot
formed on the right side of his brain
impairing the control of his left arm
and leg.
Little known also. is the fact that Mr.
Wilson, like Mr. Roosevelt was practi-
cally sightlesS in one of his eyes. Burst
ing blood vessels in the retina practically
made it useless. although the impairment
was in part overcome by the use % eye
glasses. He suffered also from nervous
Indigestion. With a prediSpOsition to
take cold easily added 10 this list of
troubles. Woodrow Wilson took up the
arduou# duties of the presidency with
far less physical equipment than the
public generally gave him credit for.
Once in office tho round of complex
ties which brought Mr.. Wilson praise on
one side and damnation on the other
was not long in starting. and like a
snow ball rolling down hill continued TO
take on volume until the day of his de-
parture from the White House.
Once. in the midst OF his. seige of pros
tration which accompanied the first
stages If his present illness. he debated
with himself whether he ought not TO