The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-05-30
WOODROW WILSON TODAY
Former Presiden, Spends Much OF
His Time Reading Great Quanti-
ty of Mail, and Writing
Bv Frederic J. Haskln

ington, for whatever reason mas one
stock question which invariably 'e
asked, and the answer sought with
great eagerness and interest. What
does Woodrow Wilson do now! How
does he spend his days since his re-
tirement from public life?
Questions of this sort come from
casual visitors, political friends and
! foes, foreign officials, even from
ashingtonians themselves. OF this
last class, about the only incident in
Mr.. Wilson's present life of which all
are aware is his invariable custom
of attending local vaudeville thea
ter on Saturday night, custom
which originated when Mr.. Wilson
occupied the White House. Despite
his enfeebled condition, the expires
ident manages to get great ENJOY
ment out of entertainment of this
sort.
Since the day ID months ago when
his second term as president OF the
United States expired, Mr.. Wilson
has led a life of seclusion. The last
part of his career in the White House
was marked by long illness due to
the collapse he suffered when cam
paigning across the whole country IN
support of his league of nations plan.
Mr.. Wilson has never fully recovered
physically, and probably never will.
The presidents active interest IN
the politics necessarily has waned. He
has neither the strength nor the IN
clination to keep actively in the po-
Itical limelight. Although his volu-
ainous correspondence of a private
nature sometimes deals with present
day situations and events, it is said
to show a marked preference for view
ing and commenting upon events OF
the past. The former chief execu-
tive seems to prefer to look backward
rather than keep a sharp eye on to-
day and it's happenings.
, Political Visitors Rare
The political friends and lieuten-
ants who surrounded Mr.. Wilson in
the days of his occupancy OF the
White House rarely, if ever, gain ac-
cess to his presence now. One or
two of them have been in the habit
of seeing him, possibly at intervals
of months. These, though, will come
under the head of personal friends
also. Joseph P, Tumulty, his secre-
tary for eight years, has been more
closely in touch With him than any OF
hi, former associates of a.~political
kind. and a Areacf7 between these two
has come since Mr.. Wilson denied a
statement attributed to him by Mr.,
Tumulty at the recent New York
! Democratic dinner.
! The two people most constantly
with the ex-president are Mrs. Will
son and her brother, John Randolph
Boiling, who acts as Mr.. wilson's
secretary. Admiral Cary T. Gray
son. Mr.. Wilson's physician in White
House days, continues in that capac-
itv and is a close friend. These three
make up the intimate circle surround
ing the former president-a circle
which is enlarged on few occasions.
Despite the physical condition OF
Mr.. Wilson, he sticks rigidly to his
lifetime habit of rising at Z o'clock
If the weather is ine the former
president sits out of doors until 8
o'clock, when breakfast is served. If
the weather is inclement, Mr.. Wilson
-nends the time before breakfast at
his desk.
I The morning meal past, Mr.. Wilson
begins work promptly at 9 o'clock.
! His mail is enormous, and the greater
part, if not all of the morning, IS
'oken up with it. The thousands OF
admirers Mr.. Wilson had and has
throughout the country have not for
gotten him, and his mail has reached
really huge proportions. The old
fashioned dyed-in-the-wool W.son
Democrats throughout the land write
to him continually, seeking his views
on situations and events, and the rare
occasion when Mr.. Wilson has ap-
peared in the days news of late has
been when one of these private let
ters has been made public by the re-
cipient.
i Before the midday meal Mr.. Will
son usually lies down for a little
while. After luncheon he occasional
ly rests again, often taking up MS
rest period with reading.
Only in the afternoons does the
former president go out, except fol
those occasions when he attends
vaudeville performance. The big cal