Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-01-21
Woodrow Wilson
AS | KNOW HIM
BY JOSEPH P. TUMULTY.
AS | KNOW HIM
BY JOSEPH P. TUMULTY.

IL. L dIIl 10
beforehand all the facts and circum-
stances surrounding the sinking Of
the Lusitania and to calculate the
effect upon the country of every in
cautious or unwise move. I am
keenly aware that the feeling Of the
country is now at fever heat and
that it is ready to move with me in
any direction I shall suggest, but
am bound to weigh carefully the ef-
feet of radical action now based upon
the present emotionalism of the peo-
pie. I am not sure whether this
emotionalism will last long enough
to sustain any action I would sug
gest to congress, and thus in case of
failure should be left without that
fine backing and support so neces-
sary to maintain great cause, I
could go to congress tomorrow and
advocate war with Germany, and I
feel certain that congress would sup.
port me, but what would the coun-
try say when war was declared, and
finally came, and we were witness
ing all of it's horrors and bloody aft
ermath? AS the people pored over
the casualty lists, would they not
say, Why did Wilson move so fast
in this matter? Why didn't he try
peaceably to settle this question
with Germany? Why could he not
have waited a little longer? Why
was he so anxious to go to war with
Germany, yet at the same time why
was he so tender of the feelings Of
Great Britain in the matter of the
blockade? Were I to advise radical
action now, we should have nothing,
I am afraid, but regrets and heart
breaks. The vastness Of this coun-
try; it's variegated elements, the con-
f1icting cross-currents of national
feelings bid us wait and withhold
ourselves from hasty or precipitated
action. When we move against Ger
many we must be certain that the
whole country not only moves with
us but is willing to go forward to the
end with enthusiasm. I know that
we shall be condemned for waiting,
but in the last analysis am the
trustee Of this nation and the cost
Of it all must be considered in the
reckoning before we go forward"
No Precipitancy
Then, leaning closer to me, he said:
eft will not do for me to act as If I
had been hurried into precipitate &C..
ton against Germany. I must an
swer for the consequences Of my &C.
ton. What is the picture that lies
before me? All the great nations of
Europe at war, engaged in q death
grapple that may involve civiliza-
ton. My earnest hope and fervent
prayer has been that America could
withhold herself and remain out of
this terrible mess and steer clear of
European ENVIRONMENTS, and at the
right time offer herself as the only
mediating influence to bring about
peace. We are the only great nation
now free to do this. If we should
go in, then the whole civilized world
will become involved. What pref
ty mess it would be! America, the
only nation disconnected from this
thing and now she is surrendering
the leadership she occupies and be-
comes involved as other nations
have. Think Of the tragedy! I am
not afraid to go to war No man
fit to be president of this nation,
knowing the way it's people would
respond to any demand that might
be made upon them, need have fears
or doubts as to what stand it would
finally take. But what ! fear more
than anything else is the possibility
of world bankruptcy that will in
evitably follow our getting into this
thing-not only world chaos and
bankruptcy, but all of the distemp-
ers, social, moral and industrial, that
will flow from this world cata-
clysm. No sane man, therefore, who
knows the dangerous elements that
are abroad in the world would, with
out feeling out every move, seek to
lead his people without counting the
cost, and dispassionately celebrating
upon every move"
Speech at Helena
In a speech delivered at Helena,
Montana, he frankly spoke Of the
'break down" of neutrality in these
words:
In the Providence of God, the
leadership of this nation was in
trusted to me during those early
years of the war when we were
not in it. I was aware through
many subtle channels of the
movements of opinion in this
country, and I know that the
thing that this country chiefly
desired, the thing that you men
out here in the west chiefly de-
sired, and the thing that, OF
had