Evening star., 1924-03-14
The True Story of
Woodrow Wilson
DAVID LAWRENCE.
ByDAVID LAWRENCE.

newspaper expressing fear that be
cause he had been a school teacher
he would not be able to cope with
the wise politicians at Washington
"Of course" said Mr.. Wilson, Il
cannot answer this and say. Don't
worry; | can take care of myself.
Nobody would believe it, for l will
have to prove my knowledge of poll
tics and politicians as time passes;
but whenever | see anything of this
kind in print | can't help but think
that. compared with some of the col
lege politicians. the party politicians
are amateurs. The party politician
plays his hand openly. You always
know what he is going to do. He
always follows the same rules and
is always up to the same purpose. 4
college politician should not be men,
toned in the same breath. He is
very &hrewd, and you never know
what he is going to do. He has the
gift of speech and can make black
look like white-and l have been
dealing with him for the past thirty
years.
When | was a candidate for Gov
ernor of New Jersey the opposition
called me Il Schoolmaster in derision.
| told them the definition of the word
wa: man trained to find out things
and tell them to others as effectively
az possible. ] said that that was
what I was doing about New Jersey
affairs and that / proposed to con-
tinue finding out things and telling
people about them as long as / lived"
Used Public Opinion.
1t was Mr.. Wilson's chief weapon
the power of public opinion. No one
was more adept In it's use, however,
than Secretary Tumulty. He was
able to set the stage for an address
by the President or for the announce
ment of some other important action,
limiting q few days in advance that
u sensation was forthcoming. or re-
Vealing, bit by bit and with an air
of mystery. things which appeared to
the eager newspaper men to be great
secrets-data which Mr.. Tumulty
with all the arts known to the prac-
tlced publicity expert, divulged with
an idea to headlines and conspicuous
display.
Woodrow Wilson little knew how
tie artful Tumulty did handle the
delicate question of relations with
the press, but the effectiveness of the
Tumulty policy was as d rule con-
ceded. Time and again Secretary
Tumulty revealed the Presidents
views and articulated the administra-
tton viewpoint with more skill than
the President showed in his confer
ences with the newspaper men. No
body in the entire administration
kept in as close touch in the eight
years with the editorial opinion of
the American press as did Secretary
Iumulty. He watched the upward
and downward curve of administra-
ton popularity with all the concen-
tratlon that a banker studies the rise
and fall of the investment markets.
Secretary Tumulty possessed an in
tuition which is invaluable in the
realm of politics. And with il he
brought TO Mr.. Wilson a keen judg-
ment of men and political influence. !.
smoothed Ruffied Congressmen.
Mr.. Wilson never knew of the MANY
bits of tactful conversation conducted
IN ms outer Offices which sent sena-
tors and representatives back to the
Capitol in a different frame of mind
than they came to the White House
Hostilities were overcome, grievances
We're smoothed out and contacts
strengthened all because of the Haison
maintained by Secretary Tumulty.
Naturally, he had his opponents. No
politician ever took a step in one di-
rection without antagonizing some
one on the opposite side. President
Wilson's confidence in Tumulty in the
earlier years was unbounded He
gave him a free hand Secretary
Tumulty, on the other hand. stimu-
lated by his successes in handling the
President and callers, generally took
the responsibility for many steps
which possibly the President might
have not taken had he been consulted,
but just as often was Secretary Tu-
1nulty right in these plunges as was
his chief wrong
Time and again Secretary Tumulty
interviewed and prevented political
blunderS. And the breaks of the
game, so TO speak, were with him
often, 50 that the President forgaye
occasional slips and mistakes. being
of the larger accomplish
ments of his private secretary.
Altogether, it was a remarkable as
sociation-an unusual blend of two
types wholly different. but working
in combination. The break
between these two men really relates
to the second administration of Mr.
Wilson and will be reserved for a
future chapter.
Copyright, 1924, by the George H. Doran
Company in the United States. Canada and
South America. World publication rights re-
served by Current News Features, Incorpo-
ra ated.)
tTGmOrrOw's chapter tells some in
side history of the relations with
Mexico. Great Britain and Japan DUR
ing the first Wilson admin istrattOn.)