Evening star., 1921-05-16
WILSON LIKENED TO LINCOLN
IN HIS FONDNESS FOR HUMOR.
War President Always Told Funny Stories
at Cabinet Meetings-How He
Relaxed From Tense Strain.

of rumors of spies and plots an,
, treachery and treason. the Preside n
| told this Story-new to me-abou
| traitors:
; When Benedict Arnold was given ;
! rowing commissions to destroy tn,
roV"lut i"nary cause he went south
! There he me. a North Carolina na.
t trlot who. not knowing to whom h,
was talking, was roasting Arnold
! wv hat. asked Arnold. would tn,
people of North Carolina do to Ar
, holn n they were to capture HIM"
W. ell the North CarOIinian said
"they would cut off the leg injured
when he was bravely following Wash.
hiSton and give il an honorable bur
lal. Then we would hang the bal
! ance OF the d rascal"
Dakota as "a British Province.
After We entered the war and found
ourselves in close association with
the allied nations there was natural.
~ lot of gOod-naturcd chan of an
international sort. That much of il
ShQuld rclat" to England WAS the in
eNltahIc consequence of earlier his
tory. The President. who knew the
EnStIsh people We'll and liked them
TOOK great enjoyment out of one on
TWO stories which We're told ut their
expense.
l recall his telling US Of an Incl
d'nt which happened when he was
spending Il summer in England in
tht years before he entered the
W hitc House.
The Bishop OF North Dakota was
IN England on a visit he said. land
IL was announced that he would
preach IN church not far from where
was staying, SO l decided TO go to
near my distinguished fellow-coun-
trynan.
On entering the church-a little
of
overheard another visitor inquiring
OF the English clergyman, who was
standing near the door, Who is to
preach this afternoon
l have forgotten his name re-
piled the clergyman. but he is the
Bishop of North Dakota. one of the
British provinces"
The Bishop of North Dakota disillu-
stoned his audience before he finished
his sermon, and reduced the size Of
the British empire in the mind of the
English rector by subtractine the
lusJy American commOnWe ealth he rep
resented.
Put His Own Island First.
The exaggerated idea of the impor-
people is likely TO entertain was
illustrated in another story the
President told us one day.
The Orkney Islands are mere dots
on the map, but, according to the
President, an Orkney preacher OF
intensely local patriotism used to
pray sunday after Sunday for the
blessing of God upon the people of
this land, and of the adjacent islands
of England. Scotland and Ireland"
But d story the President liked bet
ter than either of these was one that
was told about a conversation be-
tween SpringRice, the British am
bassador. and Col. Harts, who at the
time was superintendent of buildings
and grounds.
Spring Rice had visited the Presi-
dent. and, following his visit, was
being shown some of the White
House portraits by Col. Harts.
AS the British ambassador departed
he turned to Col. Harts and asked
him:
What is the White House made
OFF,
Virginia sandstone" answered the
colonel.
Put / didn't know Virginia stand
stone was white" said Spring Rice.
Nor is it," the colonel replied. You
see. we had TO paint the stones"
Paint them? Why in the world
would you have to paint good red