Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-16

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Including translation into foreign Ian
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hidden.
The American ability to laugh when
things get desperate is as good proof
as any OF the Americans fitness TO sur
> xiye.
Most people think of Woodrow Wilson
son as stern man. a man of unbend-
4nr gravity, a man whose very smie is
eerious They don't know him as We do
Who lived with him through the years
of anxiety and burden which were ms.
Sometimes as / look back 'on them l
wonder that he did not give way under
the strain long before armistice day
erme.
Through -he nearly three years of APP
prehension whic, preceded our en-
trance into the war. the years OF
nsutr ality and negotiation. the years of
tryins 70 deal honorably with a trucu-
lent government the years of divided
sentiment at home. the draft upon
energy and nervous vitality hads been
great.
When we actually entered the war it
WAS in a measure relief, but a relief from
| one SORT of pressure merely to face an
other which as days went by, grew
hsavier.
Calm and Uphurried.
We who We're with him in those days
san testify 10 how splendidly he bore
the weight OF responsibility. He met
each emergency with calm, unhurried
mind. He gave TO each problem delib-
eiatc thought. He acted with decision
and proinptitude when the facts were
before him. He maintained a fine sense
= 49,. sfx-.. 1Rsnc f.f
things, and he wasted little time on tri-
fiss or matters OF routine and red tape.
: lie thought and planned and directed on
big-scalc map Americas possibilities
for service. Always one felt his tremen-
dous faith in America. The inspiration
of IL was magnificent.
But there was a sanity about his seri-
ou~p SIS. lie looked at his responsible
tics seriously, but not too seriously. He
knew that unless the tension on human
mind and nerve is relieved they can not
: do their work enlcie ntly, and they may
snap.
Entertainment fun. laughter have
their essential places in life: they are
nected nsost b. those who have tie most
serious tasks 10 do. Men who are alb
sofn.d for hours and days a. a time in
such problems OF life and death as con-
lapse BY the power TO escape through
Jest or play. The nan who cannot avail
himself Of this avenue of escape will
not he long for the duties he should
perform.
Lincoln not only rested hts own mind.
but refreshed the minds of his cabinet
iy lntcrpola tins into the anxious days
cf civil war occasional readings from
Arteraus Ward. or humorous stories
which ne had gathered here or there in
Lia wide field Of human contacts.
Liked Funny Stories.
noodrcv- Wilson kept his body in trim
~ regular exercise and. not infreauent
,isits 10 the golf links. HIS brilliant mind
relaxed itself by yielding To its keen ap-
rreciation for humorous story--either
the telling or the hearing Of it. l do not
think there was ever cabinet meeting
wnen hc did not iliustrate his views with
s-1ry. Sometir.ts from his own ex-
p~ri-rcss: sometimes from incidents
which bad happened overseas. II was
net always a funny storv but it often
Was
1 remember when we We're getting
letters threatening all sorts Of dire
things IL we went TO war with Germany
and the newspapers were fun of rumors
of spies and plots and treachery and
treason, the president told this story
new 10 me--about traitors:
When Benedict Arnold, was given q
rowing commission TO destroy the revo-
lutionary cause, he went south. There
he met a North Carolina patriot who
not knowing 10 whom he was talking
was roasting Arnold. What" asked
Arnold. would the people of North
Carolina do to Arnold if they were tc
capture him7"
We'll" the North Carolinian said
''they would cut off the leg injured
when he was bravely following Wash.
ington and give it an honorable burial
Then we would hang the balance of the
D. rascal"
Dakota IS . British Province.
After we entered the war and found
ourselves in close association with th,
allied nations there was naturally iof
Of good -natured chan OF an interna
uonal sort. That much of it should
relate 10 England was the inevitable
consequence Of earlier history. The
president. who knew the. Englisf
people well and liked them. took grea-
enjoyment out Of one or two storie.
which we're told at their expense.
/ recall his telling us OF an incident
a summer in England in the years be.
fore ne entered the White House.
The bishop of North Dakota was in
England, on visit" he said, and #
was announced that he would preach
in church not far from where / wa:
staying so / decided TO go to hear ms
distinguished ellow-countryman.
''On entering the church, little early
IN order to be sure OF a seat over.
heard another visitor inquiring of tn,
English clergyman. who was STANDING
rear the door. Who is to preach this
afternoon
II have forgotten his name,' replied
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
hts sermon. and reduced the size OF ths
British empire in the mind of the En-
siish rector by subtracting the lusts
American commonwealth he repre-
0ented.
Put His Own Island First.
The exaggerated idea of the i'm.
portance Of ones own land which any
,oeople is likely TO entertain was Illus
0rated In another story the president
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