Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-30

Gregory:
The White House,
Washington, Oct. 1, 1918.
My Dear Gregory:
The enclosed letter from his
wife was handed to me this
morning by rather pitful old
German whom I see occasionally
looking after the flowers around
the clubhouse at the Virginia golf
course. I must say it appeals to
me, and I am sending it to you
to ask if there is any legitimate
way in which the poor old fellow
could be released from his pres.
ent restrictions.
In haste, faithfully yours,
(SigneO
WOODROW WILSON.
recall a day when the president
sat at his typewriter in the White
House, preparing the speech he was
to deliver at Hodgensville, Ky, in
connection with the formal accept
ance of the Lincoln Memorial, built
over the log cabin birthplace Of Lin.
coin. When he completed this
speech, which I consider one of his
most, notable public addresses-per-
haps in literary form. his best-he
turned to me and asked me if had
any comment to make upon it. I
read it very carefully: I then said
to him: Governor, there are GER
tain lines in it that might be called
a Self-reVelation Of Woodrow Will
son." The lines that I had in mind
were:
I have read many biographies
of Lincoln; I have sought out
with the greatest interest the
many intimate stories that are
told of him. the narratives of
nearby friends, theN sketches at
close quarters, in which those
who had the privilege of being
associated with him have tried
to depict for us the many man
himself Gin his habit as he
lived" but I have nowhere
found a real intimate Of Lin
coin. I nowhere get tL9 i'm
preston in my narrative or
Renaissance that the writer had
could penetrate to the heart of it.
Of his mystery, or that any man
could penetrate ia te heart Of it.
That brooding spirit had no real
familiars. I get the impression
that it never spoke out in COM
plete self-revelation, and that it
could not reveal itself complete
to any one. 1t was very lonely
spirit that looked out from I'M
derneath those shaggy brows,
and comprehended men without
fully communing with them, as
forts at comradeship, it dwelt
apart, saw it's visions Of duty
where no man looked on. There
is a very holy and very terrible
isolation for the conscience of
every man who seeks to read the
destiny in the affairs for others
as we'll as for himself, for a ma
ton as we'll as for individuals,
That privacy no man can in
trude upon. That lonely search
of the spirit for the right, per-
haps no man can resist.
To Woodrow Wilson the business
of government was solemn thing
to which he gave every ounce Of
his energy and his great intellectual
power. No president in the whole
history of America ever carried
weightier responsibilities than he
Night and day, with accomplishing
patience, he was at his post of duty
attending strictly to the pressing
needs Of the nation, punctiliously
meeting every engagement, great OF
small. Indeed, no man that ever
met was more careless about himself
or thought less of vacations for the
re
His Actions Not Dramatic
There are three interesting maps
which show the mileage covered by
President Roosevelt, Taft and Viii
son. These maps picture the states
.traversed by each Of the presidents
Great black smudges show the trail
covered by President Roosevelt
which included every state in the
Union, and equally large black
marks show the territory covered
by President Taft, but only thir
line shows the peregrinations anc
wanderings of President Wilson
The dynamic, forceful personality Of
Mr.. Roosevelt, which radiated en-
ergy, charm and good nature, anc
the big, vigorous, lovable personal
ity of Mr.. Taft, put the staid, sim
pie, modest, retiring personality OF
the New Jersey president, Mr.. Will
son, at a disadvantage. Into the at
mosphere created by these winning
personalities of Mr.. Roosevelt ant
Mr.. Taft, the personality of Mr.
Wilson did not easily fit, and ne
realized it when he said to me one
day, "Tumulty, yoH must realize tina
I am not built for the dramatic
things of politics. I do not want tt
be displayed before the public, anc
if I tried it, should do it badly"
Without attempting to belittle thu
great achievements of former presl
dents of the United States, part1cu
larly Roosevelt, it is only fair to sa!
| that, comparing the situations which
confronted them with those that me
President Wilson from the very be
| ginning of his incumbency, their job
were small. AS a genial Irishmal
| once said to me, "Hell broke loos
when Wilson took hold" Every un
usual thing, every extraordinar,
thing, seemed to break, and breal
against us. From the happening o
| the Dayton flood, which occurre
in the early days of the Wilson ad
ministration, down to the momen
when he laid down the re1nS OF OF
flee, it seemed as if the world il
which we lived was at the point o
revolution. Unusual, unprecedent
ed and remarkable things began t
happen, things that required all tn
patience, indomitable courage an
tenacity of the president to hol
them steady. The Mexican situe
ton left on our doorstep, was on
of the great burdens that he carrie
| during his administration. The
came the fight for the division Of tn
tariff, the establishment Of the fec
era1 reserve system, all items tina
constituted the great program of dc
nestle reform which emanated iron
the brain of Woodrow Wilson, an
then in the midst of it all came tn
| European war, the necessity for net
| trality, the criticism which was hear
ed upon the president for every ur
| honnnI1ino which his critic