Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-27
Chapter XLIII Continued
Showing Warmth of Heart


A little incident illustrating tn
warmth Of heart of Woodrow Wi
son and the sympathetic way b
his feeling came to m
in letter received at the Whit
House in 1920 from a Red eros
nurse, who was stationed at the Re
Cross base hospital at Neuilly
France. An excerpt from it follows
I might interest you to recite
an incident within my own per-
sonal knowledge that proves the
depths of his sympathy-his sim
certify. I was one of the unit Of
Red Cross workers who went to
France to help our soldiers
blinded in battle. I was at the
time Of this incident stationed at
the Red Cross base hospital 1
at Neuilly. After a visit of the
president and Mrs. Wilson to the
hospital one of my charges, a
totally blind private to whom
Mr.. Wilson had spoken, said to
me: "Miss Farrell, I guess the
president must be very tired" I
said: why do you think that,
Walter?" "Well, because" re-
piled the soldier, she laughed and
joked with all the other fell
lows, but was so quiet when he
talked with me, and just said:
Honorable wound, my boy" so
low I could hardly hear him.
But, say" continued Walter,
'1ook at my hand, please, and
see if it is all there, will you?
The president sure has some
hand, and he used it when he
shook hands, I'll say
The fact was Walter was the
first blind soldier the president
had met in France, and knowing
from experience the appeal the
blind make to our emotions, l
knew the president was so
touched that he was overcome
and couldn't joke further-he
was scarcely able to manage the
one remark, and could not trust
himself to venture another.
Twas with tears In his eyes and
a choking voice that he managed
the one. Both he and Mrs. Will
son Wept in that blind ward.
AS political fighter he was ga
liant and square. No one ever hear
him call an opponent a name o
knew him unworthily to take &C
vantage of an opponent.
Illustrative of the maganimou
attitude of the president toward hi
political enemies was the strik1n,
incident that occurred a few week
before the close of the last presi
Dental campaign, 1920. Early on
two Democratic friend
called upon me at the executive OF
fees, and informed me that the,
could procure certain document
that would go long way toward dis
crediting the Republican campalg,
and that they could be procured TO
a money consideration. They e.
planned the character of the docu
ments to me, and left it to me t
say what 1 considered a fair price
Of these documents, and it was Ger
tainly a delicate situation for m
to handle and embarrassed me great
ly. was reluctant to offend thes
gentlemen, and yet I was certain
from what they said that the docu
ments, as they explained them t
me, even though they might dis
credit the Republican campaign
were not Of character that an
party of decent men ought to hav
to do with. When tn
gentlemen told me the name of tn
person who claimed to have thes
damaging papers in his possession
I at once recalled that we had II
the files of the White House certai,
letters that could be used to discreC
it this very man who claimel t
possess these discriminating docU
ments. I thought it wise, therefore
to listen politely to these gentlemel
until I could get chance to COME
with the president. I did this a
once.
In Fairness to Mr.. Harding
At this time the president wa
lying i'll in his sick room at tn
the White House. The nurse raised
him up in the bed. and I explained
the whole situation to him, sayin
to him that it was my opinion tina
the Democratic party ought no t
have anything to do with such
matter and that I thought we SHOULD
at once apprise the Republican man
ayers of the plan that was afoot t
discredit by these unfair means tn
candidate and campaign
When I told the president of tn
character Of these documents tina
had been offered to me, he was fill
ed with indignation and said:
univ f10ic fiCrhf hU f1i
means, we will not attempt to vii
it by unfair means. You have m,
to use whatever files w
have against this party who Woul'
seek unfairly to attack the Republ1
can nominee, anC you must at ono
notify the Republican managers o
the plan proposed and explain tn
whole situation to them. Say t
the attorney general that he mus
place at the disposal of Mr.. Harding
and his friends every officer he has
if necessary, to disclose and over
come this plot. I am sure that Gov
ernor Cox will agree with me tina
this is the right and decent thini
to do"
Acting upon the presidents sug
gestion I at once called upon a Ger
tain Republican senator from tn
west, now a member of Presiden
cabinet, and told him o
the proposed plot that was afoot t
discredit the Republican campaign
I told him I was acting upon tn
express authority of the president
He expressed his high appreciation
Of the information I had brough
him, and informed me that he woult
place the matter in our hands witt
The utmost c@T..s,.,icG i'll u. ~ .t..fi
die it honorably.
It ought 20 be said here that upol
personally made b.
1 found that there was moth
ing in this whole matter that il
tba c1iobtaef da0reo rafIeoted 1Ino,