Evening star., 1922-12-29
Brave ED0WNPOUR
TOHEAR WILSON
Drenched by Rain, Friends
Wait in Vain for Birth
day Speech.
CHEER AS HE APPEARS
Dripping Umbrellas Waved En-
thusiastically as Ex.President
Leaves for Auto Ride.

Cndaunted by a drenchinc- down.
pour of rain. several hundred men
and women waited patiently bu:
Vainly yesterday afternoon for Wood
row Wilson to deliver a birthday a,l-
dress from the little iron balcony
of his S street home. Their disap-
pointment over not hearing the foi
mer President speak, however. did not
prevent the crowd from giving him
several rounds of enthusiastic cheers
when he appeared for a few minutes
just before leaving for an afternooi,
automobile spin
Dripping umbrellas. bobbed ,igor
ously up anu down, and nucil- l-i.iltod
hats. swung enthusiastically overhead.
saluted MI Wilson as he stepped from
the side door Of his home to enter ms
! motor Speech. Speech cried his
admirers. But America wartime
PRESIDENT merely smiled. raised his hsL
and stepped into his car. Again and
again he was compelled to acknowI-
edge the repeated salutes of IL.
crowd while he waited for other mem
bers OF the party to come out and
join him.
Crowd Arrives Early.
The crowd began to arrive as early
IDENTIFY having expected larger gath
ering and seeking TO occupy points
OF vantage first. By 3 O'Clock the
; street was nearly impossible as a re-
suit of cars being parked on each siuy
and some even kept places in the cen
ter of the street until traftic behind
insisted upon being permitted 10 pass.
Most of the crowd occupied autofnc-
biies. although about fifty were on foo
and perhaps d score did not even have
umbrellas.
A depressing sky poured a steady
rain upon the watchers for fun
hour and a half before they had d
chance to see Mr.. Wilson. Some mem
bers of the crowd were elderly wom-
en-. but they stood patiently in front
of the colonial brick residence on 5
street. anxiously watching the front
windows for some sight of the man
10 whom they had been SO loyal.
Every few minutes unconcerned mes
sengers drove up. left packages Of
flowers or kilograms and drove away
a gain. putting idly at cigarettes. Onc.
or twice figures appeared at the win
dows, but none turned out 10 be thst
of Mr.. Wilson.
Foundation Omcers Arrive.
Promptly at 3 O'Clock Hamilton
Holt and the officers of the Woodrow
Wilson Foundation arrived to feli"l-
tate the former President on the oc-
that the s1.000.000 foundation. bear
ing his name and dedicated to the ad-
Nancement of world democracy and
peace through justice. had been per
manentiy established yesterday. IL
probably was the former Preside nt's
most treasured birthday gift. for til"
foundation was made possible througli
subscriptions donated by persons al
over the world renewed expression
of their continued faith IN the pr.n-
ciples for which Mr.. Wilson fought
With Mr.. Holt were Judge Martin
Manton. Rabbi stephen 5. Wise. Mrs.
J. Malcolm Forbes. Mrs. Charles r.
Simonson and Miss Caroline Ruutz-
Rees. They remained i'm the Wilson
residence for nearly an hour, ard
upon leaving said their call had been
; purely informal. Mr.. Wilson hal
; made no statement and none Wa
called for. Mr.. Holt said. Beyond that
! the former President desired that
| nothing be said.
Mrs. Wilson Cheered.
Five minutes after the party had
T; lef, Mrs. Wilson appeared at a front
| window and was enthusiastically
cheered. She waved her handker
1 chief in reply and a moment later
there was a rush for the side, en-
| trance when Mr.. Wilson's limousins
drew up to the door. The former
Presidents appearance was the Sig
nal for enthusiastic cheers: those who
had umbrellas bobbed them up and
down and watchers who hud peeped
| from behind the protection OF cur
taincd machines left their dry seats
/ precipitately.
! Mr. Wilson wore a dark ove-coaL
and slouch hat Aside from looking
trife tired. he appeared TO be in the
best of health. An army of photog-
! ra aphers went up to the windows OF
I 4 f...- -
the door and let them shoot" him AS
birthday photograph. The former
, President only smiled. however, aud
shook his head In the negative. A
moment later he drove away and the
street was soon cleared.