The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-24
Birmingham Man Only Ala. bamian Who Was Mem Der Of White House
 Guards"

Guards
 There was one person in Birming ham who felt real personal loss ir the death of former President Wood row Wilson by reason of having beeA | close to him during the most trying period of the World war. This person perhaps the only one in Alabama out. | side of high government officials, who had an opportunity to observe him at | close range at that time, is Eric C. Smith, member of the White House guards, the Presidents military guard of honor from May IS, 1917, until the time of Wilson's departure for France to take part in the peace conference. Mir. Smith was interviewed a day or two ago by an Age-Herald reporter | who asked him to give some of the ex- periences he and the other members of the White House guard had had dur ing the time they had entrusted to them the great responsibility placed upon a military body of its size during the World war, the protection of the Pres ident from personal injury at the hands of spies and assassins and the thou sands of others who knew that no more deadly blow could have been delivered to the nations morale than the death of President Wilson at such time.
 Stood Near Him
 On practically every occasion when the President made an address or took part in a ceremony outside the White House grounds, Mir. Smith was with him. At other times, when his main duty was to "shoo" off inquisitive Washington visitors who approached too close to the executive mansion, the members of the White House guards had an opportunity to chat with the man they were guarding and find out for themselves what sort of human be- ing a war president can be when in the semi-privacy of his own front yard.
 "He was one of the most thoughtful and considerate men I have ever known" MT. Smith said in commenting on President Wilson's death. When we were on duty at the White House he would stop and ask us about our selves, what part of the country we were from and whether we were well cared for at the barracks. He and Mrs. Wilson went for a walk nearly every afternoon through the White House grounds. It was then we got our most intimate views of the man."
 Talked to Guards
 Mir. Smith described an incident that brought out the great responsibility the President felt and the seriousness with the end of the war, when the strain was beginning to tell on the President, when his step was not so buoyant and the lines of care 50 noticeable during the last few years of his life were be- ginning to form on his face. He was on one of his customary walks when he stopped to talk to the men on duty.
 T know you boys find it hard work doing guard and living under such strict military discipline" he said, but that's not half as bad as having to be on the job twenty -four hours a day and carrying such a heavy burden of responsibility as have to carry"
 "One of our chief duties," Mir. Smith said, was to protect the President from cranks, most of them perfectly harm less, who were sure they had a way to end the war. Many. of them were just nuts but they gave us lots of trouble. Many of them refused to tell us what their business was, but others were more communicative. One fellow had wild invention, consisting of a huge gun to fire further than any ever devised. There were many people like that, with wild schemes for winning the war. It was a part of our job to keep chem away from the President"
 With Him On Trips
 MT. Smith was with President Will son when he made various excursions to nearby cities and heard him when he made many addresses on America S war aims that have become historic and valuable contributions to the worlds literature. He was within few feet of him when he delivered his famous Flag day address that is now included in textbooks used in the public schools and helped to keep away the eager crowds that thronged around him when he headed the huge parade down Penn sylvania avenue in September, 1917,- in honor of the first drafter men to be called for service in the war.
 'The Life Guard as we were some times called, was always near the President at the theatre" he said. Our seats were engaged beforehand, and we were scattered over the house in such way as to be instantly avail able in case his life should be threat ened. We had only a few occasions to prevent a hostile move on anybody S part, for we made it rule not to take any chances. We always kept the crowds at safe distance to be sure."
 Kept at Home
 At the close of the war Sergeant Major Smith and his comrades suffered a disappointment which he describes as one of the keenest of his life. During the long, anxious months of fighting. when they, in common with millions of other young Americans, felt yearning to go the actual fighting zone in France, they were kept reconciled to the less active service by the thought that they would be able to accompany President Wilson when the time should come for him to attend the peace conference They saw hundreds of thousands of khaki-clad men passing through Wash ington on their way to the war area and had themselves enlisted-Mr. Smith himself just two weeks after America entered the conflict--as fighting men with no other purposes than to get overseas. But when President Wilson made up his mind to go to the peace conference he decided to leave his per sonal guards at home.
 "Of course, it was bitter disap- pointment," Mir. Smith said, but the President had good reason for not talk ing us along. There were already 2,5O0,O00 men over there who had to be brought home, and we would only have added to the number. So was sent back to my outfit at Fortress Monroe. where I stayed until mustered out of the service
 Presidents Gift
 Mir. Smith wears gold ring a per sonal gift from President Wilson to each member of the White House guards. which he values even more high