The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-09-28

lectures which have been printed and
circulated since then as to the clfcum-
stances of the Presidents collapse and
many are the rumors that are still going
the rounds as to the progress OF his re-
coyerv The air of mystery, OF Secluslon,
indeed of curious haze still envelopes the
ndomitable personality who Is hghtIng
on He no longer takes hand IN pom
tics or international affairs but with al
most superhuman will-power he holds at
bay an illness that has in the past taken
the life of many man much more Wig
orous than Woodrow Wilson,
The former president obedient to the
orders Of his faithful physician - III,
Cary T. GraySon. has prolonged his own
life by doing the opposite of what he was
accustomed to doing before his nerves
gave way. lie no longer lives intensely
He lives quietly. and with careful nus
banding of his energies. :
Official Statement Never Given /
With true medical reticence, the facts
of Mr.. Wilson's illness have never been
officially disclosed For some strange
reason a rumor gained currency that Mr..
Wilson broke down while speaking at
Pueblo. The story has been circulated
that he ramhled in his speech ana gave
way, that he had to be conveyed to his
train and that his breakdown was Wis
iblp to eve. That isn't true. MIR. VIII
sons speech at Pueblo was much like
his other speeches. 1t is a fact that IN
referring to the Americans who died IN
France Mr.. Wilson gave way 10 emo
ton as he saw the tears come to the eyes
of several who sat in front of HIM, par
entS no doubt of some of the war We
| Tins. Aside from that incident, nothing
unusual occurred in Wichita. Indeed,
| Mr.. Wilson chatted with correspondents
| as he walked to his train.
IF was after the train had proceeded
one hour from Pueblo that it was sud
denly stopped on a side and Mr.. wilson
went for walk. His gait was brisk.
He went for a mile along the country
road, with DIR. Grayson and Mrs. WI
son and even took a little sprint Tor a
| few yards to Timber up When ne
/ came back to the train, he said he felt
Il fine That evening news came from
4 Washington indicating a more hopetul
Il prospect of ratifying the Versailles treaty;
H Things were more cheerful than they had
been since Mr. Wilson started his jour
| ney. All went well aboard the train.
The President retired about IL o'clock
but he couldn't sleep. At one he got np
and tried TO read. Insomnia and eX-
IRENE nervousness were eXhausting HIM.
! DIR. GraySon saw signs of a collapse. He
awakened Secretary Tumulty and in
| sisted that the trip be cancelled at once
/ Mr. Wilson's lips We're tWltchIng. lie
| was beginning to show the effects OF the
1 terrible strain he had been under ,durlns
D the war and at the peace conference. Nj
/ nine o'clock that morning the official an
4 / nouncemcnt was made. The correspond
1 eptS rushed in automobiles from the
4 railroad yards several miles from the city
Il of Wichita to the telegraph office. Ih'
II train returned back to Washington al
Il hour later.
Some Doubt About Cause
Curiously enough. there was SOM
II doubt among the newspapers as to VIVA
III really caused the stopping of the trip
iii Some thought it was not iil-health but
HI lack of desire to speak further In hope
III less cause. Basing their editorials ol
some of those stories, some newspaper
III publicly expressed Skepticism as to tn
Ii story of ill-health and laid 1T to polt
III icaI reasons. There was no outward eV
HI idence of Mr. Wilson'S breakdown. Whe
HI the train pulled in at Washington Nj
ii Wilson walked briskly through the Unio
II station. The newspaper photographer
HI snapped him as he walked, and the pic
III lures are matter of record in loca
newspapers. Nevertheless the story ha
/ ncrSisted that Mr. Wilson had to be cal
ried from the speaking. platform an
III that his COLLAPSE occurred in public.
iii Only two or three persons really kne
when the climax did come. 1t happene
i'll in the White house within few day
HI latter the return from the western tril
1t resulted in an impairment of the lie
III leg and arm.
Mind Not Impaired
II Whether Mr. Wilson should have T
III signed and turned his office over to I'll
HI vice president will always be mo'
II question. The fact is that for more tina
Iii wear the eabinet officers functioned |
Hi the heads of their departments and VI
HI Wilson did little else but approve or di
III approve their recommendations on II
HI portant matters. At no time, his advi
Ill ors say, was his mind impaired, thong
III to be sure. he was kept from doing mu'
III work by his physicians. The layman
III view-and it is after all the impressi'
HI made by Mr.. Wilson upon visitors whi'
f constitutes the only basis for any stori
III about him-is that Woodrow Wilson
III mentally the same today as he was L
III. day he broke down. His mental facI
All tics his friends say. have never been lie
III keen or discerning than they were
III fore
III Mr. Wilson is not trying to manage t
HI affairs, of the Democratic party. He Isl
III taking a hand in the treaty fight at a
III He is said to have remarked to a trle
HI that he intended to show the Republlca
U how an ex-president could behave"
III meant it of course in contrast to the w
III Former President Roosevelt used to tC
MI ment a Democratic president with bitt
III attacks in the newspaper Mr.. Wills
HI lives in Washington but isn't doing
l saving a thing that could possibly offe
N the present occupant of the White hOu
HE has literally taken himself out
III public life and probably will remain
iii the same seclusion leaving to future g
III erationS a record of his work to
III Judged in wears free from the passion;
III nartisanship of the era in which
III lived.
III Clovo1and ;e nrnna RING for tho ont