Evening star., 1924-03-27
The True Story of
Woodrow Wilson
ByDAVID LAWRENCE.

, Early in 1919 the author had made
tour of the United States and had
written for the London Times
cable stating that while sentiment for
the league was preponderant the
cause would be strengthened if
people were sure Mr.. Wilson did not
mean to use it as vehicle for a
third term. The President read that
article and cabled to his private sec
retary to discover if the sentiment
reported was correct and If he should
tissue statement saying he would
not run for a third term. He was
advised 1t was unnecessary. Nearly
year later, when the author pub
lished a story about the Presidents
cable and his apparent Willingness
! to forego a third nomination if it
would help the cause of the league,
| there was evidence of displeasure
| that Mr.. wilson's position had become
public. Mrs. Wilson demanded to
know of Secretary Tumulty If the
| author had access to the Presidents s
cables from Paris. The information
| to the author had come not from
, Washington, however, but from Paris
. in the apparent Discrimination to give
up the third term idea. especially
at time when other candidates were
seeking the democratic nomination.
! Drafted Complete Platform.
! The san Francisco convention was
a disappointment to Woodrow Wilson
in many ways. The convention failed
to give Mr.. Wilson even a compli-
mentary nomination. Nor did his
friends think it wise to announce
that he had sent a light-wines- and
beer plank to the convention for
adoption. He had vetoed the Vol
stead act and felt that its modiica-
tion would not be a violation of the
eighteenth amendnent. Mr.. Wilson
bequeathed to his friends n complete
platform for the 1924 campaign. but
at this writing it has not been made
public
Mr.. Wilson's last days in the White
House were in seclusion. He never
came to his offices. He sat in a wheel
chair on the south portico or in the
grounds and received few callers. One
.of the unexplained incidents of the
last year was his failure to receive
Lord Grey. Britain'S distinguished
statesman, who had been secretary
for foreign affairs in 1914, and who
was in Washington as a special am
bassador in the hope Of reaching
some understanding with the United
States about her entry into the league
of nations. Mr.. Wilson never gave
him an audience. He resented the
fact that Lord Grey had received at
the British embassy. several republi-
can mem DerS OF the United States
Senate, including Mr. Wilson's chief
opponent. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge.
and had discussed the situation with
them. Lord Grey was of the opinion
that the Lodge reservations would in
the main satisfy the allied powers.
When he returned to Great Britain
he wrote letter, made public in
the London Times, giving his views
in detail, but the President was not
made any friendlier TO a compromise
by that action.
Some OF those who had Mr.. Wilson's
ear during the seclusion insist that
they urged him to accept the Lodge
reservations. There is no way to
determine the strength of their per-
suasiveness. Mr.. Wilson accepted
the 1920 defeat with Stoicism. He
could have revived the Versailles
treaty and released the members of
his party to accept the Lodge reser-
vations after the election. but though
few newspapers argued editorially
for such a step the advice went un-
Harding, declared uneQuivocally
against the league of nations, with
or without reservations.
No Criticism of Successors.
Not a word of criticism came pub
licly from Mr.. Wilson of the acts of
President Harding or President Cool
idge. 1t was Woodrow Wilson's
pointed way of showing the world
as he phrased it, ''how an ex-Presi-
dent could behave" for he did not
forget the shafts aimed at him by