Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-13
Woodrow Wilson
AS | KNOW HIM
BY JOSEPH P. TUMULTY.


Lansing, intimating that his resig-
nation would not be a disagreeable
thing to the president, conferred
with the president at once and ar
gued with him that in the present
state of public opinion it was the
wrong time to do the right thing.
At the time the president was seat
ed in his invalid chair on the White
House portico. Although physically
weak, he was mentally active and
alert. Quickly, he took hold of my
phrase and said, with show of the
occasions: "Tumulty, it is never the
wrong time to spike disloyalty
When Lansing sought to GUST me, I
was upon my back. I am on my
feet now, and will not have dis
loyalty about me-"
When the announcement Of Ian
sings resignation was made, the
flood-gates of fury broke about the
president, but he was serene
throughout it all. When I called at
the White House on the following
Sunday, I found him calmly seated
in his bathroom, with his colored
valet engaged in the not arduous
task of cutting his hair. Looking at
me with smile in his eye, he said:
well, Tumulty, have I any friends
left?" VERY few, governor" I said.
Whereupon, he replied: "Of course
it will be another two days wonder.
But in a few days what the country
considers an indiscretion on my part
in getting rid Of Lansing will be for
gotten, but when the sober, second
thought of the country begins to as
sert itself, what will stand out will
be the disloyalty Of Lansing to me.
Just think of it! Raised and exalted
to the office Of secretary of state,
made a member of the peace COM
mission, participating in all the con-
ferences and affixing his signature
to a solemn treaty, and then hurry
ing to America and appearing be-
fore the foreign relations committee
Of the senate to repudiate the very
thing to which he had given his as
sent"
~ Attention to Strike
During the illness of the president
his political enemies sought to con-
Vey the impression that he was in
capacitated for the duties Of his Of
flee. AS one who came in daily con-
tact with him. know how baseless
We're these insinuations. AS mat
ter of fact, there was not a whole
week during his entire illness that
he was not in touch with every mat
ter upon which he was called to act
and upon which he was asked to rem
der judgment. The White House
files contain numerous memoranda
showing his interest in all matters
to which department heads felt it
incumbent to call to his attention
during his illness. One of the most
critical things upon which he passed
was the question of the miners
strike, which resulted in the begin
ming, from an injunction suit by the
attorney general, Mr.. Palmer, to re-
strain the miners from carrying
out their proposed strike. This was
one of tn most critical situations
that arose during his illness, and
with which he daily kept in touch.
Uncomplainingly the president ap-
piled himself to the difficult tasks
Of the western trip. While the first
meeting at Columbus was a diSap-
pointment as to attendance, as we
approached the west the crowds
grew in numbers and the enthusi-
asm became boundless. The idea Of
the league spread and spread as
we neared the coast. Contrary to
the impression in the east, the presi-
dents trip west was a Veritable trl-
umph for him and was. 50 success
full that we had planned, upon the
completion of the western trip, to
invade the enemy's country, Sena-
tor Lodges own territory, the New
England states, and particularly
Massachusetts. This was our plan,
fully developed and arranged, when
about o'clock in the morning of
September 26, 1919, DIR. Grayson
knocked at the door of my sleeping
compartment and told me to dress
quickly, that the president was seri-
ously i'll.
AS we walked toward the presi-
dents car, the doctor told me in a
few words of the presidents trou-
BILE and said that he greatly feared
it might end fatally if we should
attempt to continue the trip, and
that it was his duty to inform the
president that by all means the trip
must be cancelled; but that he did
not feel free to suggest it to the
president without having my COOP
Grafton and support. When we ar
ElNSu DIT llG- pISSIuSIlI uIdW1ll6
room, I found him fully dressed and
seated in his chair. With great diff
ficulty he was able to articulate.
His face was pale and wan. One
side of it had fallen, and his condi-
ton was indeed pitiful to behold.
Quickly reached the same conclu-
sion as that of DIR. Grayson, as to
the necessity for the immediate can
collation. of the trip, for to continue
it, in my opinion, meant death to
the president. Looking at me, with
great tears running down his face,
he. said:
my dear boy, this has never hap
pened to me before. felt it COM
ing on yesterday. I do not know
what to do" He then pleaded with
us not to cut short the trip. Turn
ing to both of us, he said: Don't
you see that if you cancel this trip,
Senator Lodge and his friends will
say that am a gutter and that the
western trip was a failure, and the
treaty will be lost" Reaching over
to him, I took both Of his hands and
said: What difference, my dear
governor, does it make what they
say? Nobody in the world believes
you are gutter, but it is your life
that We must now consider. We
must cancel the trip, and am sure
that when the people learn of your
condition there will be no misunder-