The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-02-08
PRESIDENT WILSON WAS HUMAN
PHENOMENON OF GREATEST WAR
At 81 No More Than University Professor and Political WRITER
at SO in Place of Power and Fame and Honor Unsur-
passed in Hsory-Defended His Unsuccessful
Peace Policies to the Last.

History, In determining the place of
Woodrow Wilson, 2Sth president of the
United States of America, will pass
judgment upon the most prominent
world-figure of the events growing out
of the most momentous war of all time.
From the viewpoint of hundreds Of
millions of lovers of liberty Woodrow
Wilson stood at the zenith, as the ex-
kaiser stands at the nadir.
The great war brought to the front
many men whose names will live in
honor. In the last analysis three men
stand out: Wilson, Lloyd George,
Clemenceau. OF these three it was
Wilson who held the worlds eye-Wil-
son, the human phenomenon of the
times, until fifty-four no more than a
college president and political writer
and at sixty-three on a pinnacle of
fame and honor and power unsnr-
passed If ever attained by any man
In history.
1t is impossible now to differentiate
between Woodrow Wilson the man and
Woodrow Wilson the head of the most
powerful nation of earth In wealth,
material. and fighting men. Certainly
he could not have reached the place
he held without great ability and ex-
traordinary capacity for leadership.
BY virtue. of his place he became a
focus of world attention as soon as
the great war began. Before the-armi-
stice was signed he had become a
great moral leader with the ear of the
peoples of the world. Only as such
could he have forced upon the allied
world the unofficial acceptance of his
project of league of nations, with its
fourteen points as set forth to con-
gress January Is, 1913.
Abroad and at Home.
The enthusiasm evoked by President
Wilson's visits to Paris, London and
Rome was proof of his unique place in
the regard of the people. 1t was evil
dent that he was to Europeans not so
much man as voice-a voice put
ting into words what they wanted and
had not been able to express; his ideas
and ideals were sort of religion to
them.
But he showed himself a statesman
as well as voice. He played the game
masterfully. He established sympathy
between himself and his man or his
IN ID Cfo ba
in taste or judgment. He matched
his mind" to use his own expression,
with the best of Europe and he got his
league of nations before the peace
conference and got 1t adopted.
President Wilson's two months In
Europe may be divided into phases.
When he landed the attitude toward
the league of nations was this: The
government of France was antagonis-
tic; Great Britain's was suspicious;
Italy's was skeptical. The first phase,
his triumphant progress through
France, England and Italy opened the
eyes of these governments to his hold
on the people. The second phase, the
preliminary work of the peace con-
ference, convinced these governments
that President Wilson had an idea
rather than set plan which he pur
posed to force upon them. This SIM
plified the situation and the rush to
climb on the bandwagon began.
Contemporary estimates of President
Wilson at home were as wide apart as
the poles. Senator j. Thomas Hefiin
(Dem., Ala.), when representative
spoke on the floor of Woodrow VIII
son, the greatest apostle of world liher-
ty and democracy since Jesus Christ"
Senator Thomas w. Hardwick (Dem.)
Of Georgia, said January q in the SEN
ate: 81 believe in written constitu-
ton. believe in strict Interpretation
of 1t p. and believe that unless
we leave and abandon this mad satur-
MALTA of Imperialism here at home and
return to the ancient principles of our
fathers there will be no safety nor