The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-04-15

Conveyed to New York P0HtIcai DHf-
ner - Tumulty Surprised at Rebuff
by Former Chief-Book Criticized.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Dispatch to The Reformer)
Copyright 1922.
WASHINGTON, April 15.-Weodrow
Wilson's public Reputation of a brief
and innoeuously worded message con-
veyed to New York political dinner by
the man who for 10 years has been his
private secretary, none other than Joseph
L. Tumulty, who lately has published a
most laudatory biography of his former
chief. has brought dismay TO Democrats
and Republicans alike in the national
capitoI. What does it mean? Is it an
other break between Woodrow Wilson
and an intimate FRIEND another chapter
in the series of personal differences with
his supporters which began first with the
break between Mr.. Wilson and George
Harvey, then between Mr.. Wilson and
Colonel House, and now between Mr.
Wilson and his own private secretary OF
official days?
The former president lives in seclu-
sion Nothing was said on his behalf
yesterday by anybody. And MIR. Tumulty
maintained a melancholy silence. It's
not a happy moment for the man who
batted faithfully for his chieftain only to
be publicly repudiated on a relatively in
consequential matter, for all political
folks are agreed that what Mr.. Tumulty
brought to the New York dinner was 50
generously phrased as to be of no special
significance, even though friends of Mr.
Cox may have for their own reasons seen
"a rs an n
the former Ohio governor. a#
Would Have Done Differently,
Tn other words. Woodrow Wilson
would have written TO New York news
paper i'm a diferentzHein.- He would have
admitted having discussed the matter of
a message to the New York dinner with
Mr. TumuIty and would have said in
public statement that he did not intend
his remarks to be construed for or against
any candidate nor in the future. This
would have confirmed Mr.. Tumulty's
own statement of his conversation with
Mr. Wilson and would have disclosed
exactly how the misunderstanding arose
between the two men.
The fact that Mr.. Wilson, without con-
sulting Joseph p Tumulty, wrote let
ter to a New York newspaper stating
that the message read at the dinner was
not authorized" and did not see fit to
confirm. the conversation in which the
remarks attributed to him were voiced is
accepted on its face as an evidence of
pique on the part of the, former presi-
dent and a desire to show the nuhlic that
Mr. Tumulty is not his spokesman. <'''' 4
Criticism of Tumulty'S Book.
Incidentally, political Washington has
been buzzing for months with the reports
of visits made to the Wilson shrine by
wOrshippers of the former president who
are understood to have criticized some of
the chapters in Mr.. Tumultys book
They are said to have urged Mr.. Wilson
to say something publicly or write some
thing which would offset the impressions
created by certain Tumulty writings.
Many of these visitors are known to
have been influenced by the surprisingly
unfriendly twist which critics gave eX
cerpts from the Tumulty volume Every
body who knows Mr.. Tumulty is aware
that he had no idea of writing anything
that would reflect unfavorably on his
former chief. There is circumstantial
story that Mr.. Wilson didn't see the book
when it was published in the newspapers
and that only few portions We're read
to him-chapters which it was supposed
would not arouse his ire. And it is
known also that Mr.. Tumulty's visits to
the Wilson home since then have been
occasional. whereas others of the Wilson
coterie had free access to the former
president.
Nobody is perhaps more surprised at
what has happened than Joseph p.
Tumulty himself. Nobody was more
surprised than Col. Edwin NJ. House
when Mr.. Wilson, without a word of
warning, dropped him from his list of
intimates. Nobody was more surprised
than George Harvey when Mr.. Wilson
told him he didn't want his support any
more.
Wants No Spokesman.
The whole thing. perhaps, is explain
able when Mr.. Wilson'S intense dislike
of ''spokesmen" is recalled. Washington
correspondents will not soon forget the
yigor with which Mr.. Wilson denounced
the spokesman in a one day article in
his address just after Dudley Field Ma
lone had made a political speech in New
| York attempting to interpret the Demo
cratic national administrations attitude
on New York state politics. The former
president never wanted anyone to do any
speaking for him without explicit author
ity. He loathed interpretations of his
viewpoint. friendly or unfriendly, because
of Il Characteristic feeling THAT if he, had
anything to say publicly he was wei
qualified with vocabulary and style of
expression to say it.
Whether the Tumulty episode win
mean a permanent break is a matter of
differing opinions, but the chances are
that the former president will get over
his irritation and say something sooner
or later which will bring back unto his
bosom the man who served him for 10
years with an energy and enthusiasm and.
hero worship rarely witnessed in public
life