Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-11-18
WILSON'S WORK
IS DISCUSSED
Was He Success or Failure,
British Book StirS World
by That Question
BY MILTON BRONNER


LONDON, Nov. 1S.-Was Wood
row Wilson one of the greatest fail
Ures Of history-or one of the great
esq successes?
IL a failure-was il due to circum-
ance he couldn't control? Should
lie not be named, nevertheless,
anon the few noble men OF history ?
An Englishman, Laurence Hous-
poet, dramatist and novelist,
undertakes to answer these ques-
tions in his book, "Dethronements,"
already published in London and
soon to be issued in America.
The book contains imaginary por-
traits of famous men done in dia-
iogue, and the picture Housman
paints of Wilson out of words he
places in the former Presidents
mouth seems likely TO make the
silent man at Washington the center
Of a heated discussion.
Here is the picture-an imaginary
dialogue between Wilson and his
secretary, Joseph p. Tumulty, imme-
diately after President Harding's in
augural. March 4, 1921:
WILSON: Tumulty, I've failed.
TUMULTY (extenuatingly): In a
way. yes. For a time.
WILSON: Absolutely.
TUMULTY: 1 don't agree.
WILSON: Because you don't
know. MY case was so strong-and
/ had such faith in it . too much
faith. not in what I stood for, but in
myself. It's a terrible thing when
one sees and knows the truth so ab-
solutely, but cannot convince others.
That's been my fate: to be so sure l
was right, and yet to fail.
Housman makes Wilson say tnat
be went to Paris thinking to save
the peace''-but that they tthe Eu-
ropean statesmen) did not want JUS
tice done"
WILSON (continulng): 1 had the
truth in me: but L failed. l was a
VOICE crying into the void-a presl-
dent without a people TO back me;
> dietator-of words. The heart of
nv people was not with me. II
they had any doubt before, the vote
Of the Senate told them.
Wilson is pictured as saying that
at the Paris peace conference ne
made two fatal mistakes:
Believing the statesmen YOU'D
honor their pledged word, and al
lowing himself to be trapped into
agreeing that the sessions De be-
hind closed doors.
Wilson: He got me to agree to
that. It was his frs: win.
TITMIJLTY: Who co you mean
WILSON with a dry laugh): The
man who told me he was on my
aHep told Wilson. the dialogue
that closed sessions would be
an easy way to save the faces OF
those statesmen He" and Wilson
were going to persuade to cllmb
dewn-and then they go Wilson IN
side a room and voted three 10 one
against him.
There are several scathing refer
ences to. Lloyd George in the book.
and many in England identity the
mysterious 'he' as the former pre-
mier.
Housman represents Wilson as
saying-after ascribing ms defeat 70
old diplomacy-that he still had
powerful weapon left: To tell
the world that the allies had lost
The peace because they would NOT
give up the things they loved so
much better-profit, revenge. our
own good opinions of ourselves, our
self-righteous judgement OF
others.'' He SAYS he didn't because
amid the wreckage, he still saw
sdmethlng-tne League Oh NdI4oiI9'
WILSON (continuing): But in
hands have l had to leave it?
To men who have no faith in it, to
who dislike 1t, TO men who will
try 10 turn it back to their own
ends. There, in those hands
Its fate will lie-perhaps for a gen.
Grafton TO come.
And 1t IS only by faith in the com
mon people, not in their politicians,
that ] dare look forward and hope
shat the instrument may yet become
a mighty sword in the hands of a
eiant-of one whose balances are
those Of justice, nof Of power.
But I shan't see it; it won't be
day. If America had come in,
] should. That was the keystone of
my policy: that gone, my policy has