New-York tribune., 1921-12-18
iser Journal by the Pencils Wilson as Seen by Tumult

WOuld nave been worth ut ieaSC nall
billion dollars spent later when war
came.
Why was the President SO blind to
tho fundamentals of our national
problem in these years? He talked
preparedness little, but his heart
was never in it and a man Of Mr.. Gar
rison's practical temperament became
intolerable to him as an adviser Did
he believe he could stave off war with
Germany by mere diplomatic adroit-
ness? His efforts to obtain German
support for a "peace without victory"
settlement, in which he should figure
as the mediator, seem to point that
way. He shrank from acknowledging
the realities Of the situation and let
the country drift into war still shock
ingly unready. Yet Mr.. Tumulty as
sures his readers many times that Mr..
Wilson believed long before the war
came that there was no chance of
avoiding it.
The author doesn't touch on the
House-Von Bernstorff mediation ne
gotiations. Possibly they were beyond
his ken.
MI. Wilson's greatest mistake, next
to neglect of preparation, was his de-
cision to go to Paris alone, in defiance
OF the popular judgment which he had So
licited in the Congressional elections of
1918. Mr.. Tumulty exonerates Post
master General Burleson from RESPONSE
hility for the appeal of Ocotber "a of
that year for the election of a Demo
cratic House and a Democratic Senate
as evidence of approval of Mr.. Wilson'S
leadership and of the country's wish to
see his leadership continued. Mr.. Tum-
ulty says that he himself urged some
such test of popular sentiment. But
IN memorandum which he wrote on
June 18, 1918, he didn't recommend
anything nearly so definite or drastic
as the Presidents challenge, with it's
correlative promise: ri am your serv
ant and will accept your Judgment
without cavil"
49, VHooH uloH accept the coun-
try's judgment without cavil," or in
any other manner. He fatty disre-
garded his promise and refused to rec
ognlze the popular demand for other
leadership. He went to Paris and
posed there as the spokesman Of a
nation which had clearly manifested
It's loss Of confidence in him. Why
didn't he fulfill his pledge and give the
majority party voice in the making
of the treaty?
Mr. Tumulty reports that he sug
gested Elihu Root as a member of the
peace commission. Ex-President Taft's
name was also considered. Mr.. Wilson,
1t appears, was willing to take Su-
preme Court justice along, but not a
Senator. He finally ruled out both Root
and Taft. The commissioners he did
take with him were dummy commits
sloners, as most of them have testified.
Thus the foundation was laid for the
failure of his trip, which ne described
TO Tumulty-with pardonable exaggera-
ton perhaps-as destined "either to be
the greatest success or the supremest
tragedy in all history" The real
tragedy Of it lay in the omission of all
sensible, good faith precautions to give
it fair chance of success.
This omission continued all through
the fight for ratification Why wouldn't
the President yield on a few reserva-
tons, which he had already admitted
to the Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations at the White House con-
ference on August 10, 1919, would not
materially affect the intent or working
of the covenant? Was it personal pride
or merely impracticable craftsmanship?
But on these and most other ques-
tions vital to an understanding of Mr.
wilson's acts and purposes Mr.. Tum-
ulty is not a very vocal witness.