The Washington herald., 1921-03-13
By MARK. SULLIVAN.

By MARK SULLIVAN. Z,
There is proof of the vitality of
woodrow Wilson's personality and
the strength Of his hold on the In
terest of his contemporaries In the
fact that even in the midst of the
excitement Of his successors begin
ming he has been followed into re-
tirement by a public curiosity which.
although often cold and distant. Is
always keen.
Much Of this curiosity Is going to
be satisfied by approaching develops
ments. Those Republicans who have
worked themselves into a kind of
madness Of suspicion about Wilson
think that startling things are go
ing to be upturned by the access
which they now have TO official and
secret archives. E
To all that. Of course. there is
nothing except an animosity 90
great that itscanpot think straight.
Lansfns's Beck Flint.
But several things are coming out.
The first will be Secretary Lansing's
book of which the publication is due
on March Is. A few persons in
Washington who have seen advance
copies Of II know that II contains
many extracts from private obser-
vations set down by Mr.. Lansing
during the Peace Conference when
the events occurred about which he
treats.
The book is in effect an attempt
at justification on Mr.. Lansing's s
Fart, and in that attempt he tells
much not heretofore known. The
book reads as II Mr.. Lansing meant
II as permanent justification In
history for his own course, but 1t
gives the impression that he ex-
poets this Justification to come
rather from his friends and parti-
sans than from impartial historians.
It has the air of a book meant for
his family and friends to turn to in
explanation of his dismissal by
President Wilson and of the events
of a year and half preceding that
dismissal. VI
Wilson to Write AttIe.
From Mr.. Wilson'S side there will
shortly come less personal series
VI 7" ISOns contrary
to the geneEal understanding, il not
going to de much writing.
He has said that all he will do
will be a series of these on public
questions and has refused to accede
to repeated solicitation from friends
that he should write personal
memoirs. Instead of this the plan
is for a friendly historian to do the
work. This historian is to be Ray
Stannard Baker.
Mr.. Baker is an author of the
highest reputation. No one will
ever question the painstaking and
conscientious quality of his inquiry
into the facts. But most decidedly
the judicial and impartial quality
Of Mr.. Bakers forthcoming history
will be challenged. All who are
close to the situation know that
Mr. Baker has toward Mr.. Wilson
| a devotion SO loyal and fine that
from the standpoint of the coldfy
detached historian he will be re-
garded as erring ON the side of per-
sonal sentiment.
Creel VIII HIT Hard.
In addition to the work Mr. Ba-
ker will do, the voluminous letters,
memoranda and other. documents in
Mr.. Wilson's possession are to be
put at the disposal of George Creel.
Creefs personal devotion to Mr.. Will
son is as great as Mr.. Bakers, but
-Creel differs from Baker in being
one of the most bellicose persons. in
the fraternity of literary artisans.
From Mr.. Creel there will be
nothing in the way of merely SEN
timental justification. There will be
hard hitting and pung ant assaults
on Mf. Wilson's enemies and critics.
II IL such q situation as Creel was
born for. such situation as his
temperament rises to-. All George
Creel wants to know about con-
troversy is. who is the under
dogr -'.F
In the present case 'Creel will
picture Wilson as fine and be-
nevolent mastiff besetL by q large
variety of yindfcuye mongreIs.
creePs natural sympathy for any
one who Is ON the defensive, added
to his almost passionate devotion
to Wilson. is sure to make for
whatever he writes reading that
will be most interesting to the pub
lie and most uncomfortable to those
who have opposed Wilson.
Material fSr History.
Out of all this and out Of other
material we shall have in due
course the material for an ade-
quate history of one OF the most
exalted figurcs that has walked the
earth Gin our time.
OF course no person with the
faintest sensitiyeness to the dfG-