Evening star., 1924-02-04
WILSON BITTER
IN LAST ADDRESS
DispelIed Idea of Many He
Had Softened Toward
Opponents.
MRS. WILSON DEVOTED
Solicitation Increased to Remark.
able Degree After His
Illness.

| as. a casualty OF war.
To this extent, and to this alone
he sometimes apparently admitted
the failure of his personal doctrine
of preordination. He died as he ha6
lived, supremely confident in his be.
lief that the principles for which he
| stood-and fought even to the extent
| of alternating some whose opinions he
| most cherished-eventuall would
| triumph.
There was no better exemplificatior
| of the entire Wilson personality than
his attitude in his address of last
Armistice day. Suggestions had been
made in advance of that occasion thai
| he would issue a message of love
| In fact, certain sources had suggest
| ed that he might, in the light of the
years that had passed, soften his
| for a reconciliation with those who
had been willing to follow him at
least part way.
Utterances More Bitter.
Nothing of the kind, it will be re-
called, took place. Instead his ut
! terances were even more bitter than
any previous.
That we, shall prevail is as sure
as that God reigns."
This was his keynote phrase The
former President likewise insisted
| that the nations memories of it's day
OF triumph, ARE forever marred and
embittered," by "the shameful fact
that we turned our backs upon our
associates" and withdrew into sui
len and selfish isolation which is
deeply ignoble because manifestly
! cowardly and dishonorabIe."
None who Listened in" that nigh,
! are likely ever to forget the intensity
or the emotion apparent in the speak
er His voice was trembling. 1t rose
to shrill heights and dropped to
Mrs: Wilson at his side plainly was
audible. The impressions, especially
"out in the sticks" where many
heard. were weird in the extreme. Ye,
probably nothing SO exemplified the
man Wilson as this somewhat bizarre
performance did.
Never Character for Tolerance,
His never was a character which
made for tolerance. IF you are no,
for me you are against me-" well
might have been coined as his most
familiar phrase. With the former
President there never was a middle
ground. Every one who knew him
personally or by reputation. either
believed without question. in the
man and his policies, or rejected them
as anathema in every particular. He
neither gave nor expe cted quarter
Early in his public career he had de-
liberately thrown overheard James
Smith. jr., of Newark. y. J.. who
more than any other individual. had
made possible his election to the gov
ernorship of New Jersey.
Smith was the apparent choice of
the democratic majority of the New
Jersey senate for election to the
United States Senate. But Gov. Will
son, seizing on the technicality that
James MARITIME, who had been defeat
ed for election every time he had ap-
peared before the people for any and
all offices, had secured the majority
of the scanty few who voted in the
senatorial primary. got behind Mar
tine and eventually compelled his
election. This action he warmly de-
Tended as in the interests of the peo-
pie and the states. At Baltimore it
was William Jennings Bryan who by
bolting Champ Clark and asailing
wall street." brought about the
deadlock which made the eventual
romination-and later election-of
Wilson possible. Yet when the dis
agreement with Bryan came because
of the submarine note sent to. Ger
many. which the Nebraskan insisted
meant nothing less than war, Wood
row Wilson accepted the resignation
of his Secretary of State, although
after 1t all was matter of record
he modified the phrase to which
Bryan originally had objected.
Men Simply Instruments.
Men simply We're instruments to be
used to meet the occasion. after all
was the position of Mr.. Wilson He
spared none. But, then. he did not
spare himself. That he was jockeyed
! into the position in Europe, where
he eventually had to fight with his
was due to his selecting his as
sociates on the American peace COM
mission to be his Subordinates in
stead of his equals. 1t was his pla II
and his alone that he intended fore
ing acceptance. Yet those who on
the ground witnessed his futile fight
always contended that, had he stayed
at home and pulled the strings. or
taken with him men of more positive
character who would have jammed
his beliefs down the throats of all
with whom they came into contact.
the peace would have been as COM
plete as was the armistice when hf
finally came back home the follow
ing July to face the Senate and the
country.
popular idol on December 13, 1919.
He demanded an immediate confer
ence of the peace ENJOYS of the allied
and associated powers. Clemenceau
pleaded for time. There were social
functions" to be gotten out or the
Tiger. The British premier insisted
he had the details of his parlia-
mentary program to arrange. Mean
while he suggested that Wilson could
visit England. go to Carlisle to pay
his respects to the former nome OF
Italy When that was over 1t would
be time enough for the President to
get together with the men who were
to be equally responsible with MIN
for the working out of the peace
and talk about the terms that must
be enforced.
Grand Program of Delay.
1t was a grand program of delay.
It worked it's will. The English trip
was an ovation to the President
Everywhere he was proclaimed the
Savior of the world" In Italy sim
liar triumphs of personal nature
were repeated. In Rome. In Milan,
in Genoa, at other points, the com com
mon people accepted woodrow Viii,
son as the one individual who could
bring tranquility back to tortured
world.
He was touched as never before by
the simple faith that was manifest.
that there was a conspiracy against
him. En- route back to Paris early in
January, he summoned the three cor
respondents who had made the trip
with him to his car and told them
that Italy was determined to domi-
nate the Adriatic and insist on the
carrying out of the pact of London
He explained that he would not al
low this. Later on he made good
this threat in the big four confer
ences, but only by practically demol-
ishing the influence of the govern
ment then in power at Rome and
forcing her peace delegation to re-
turn to the Eternal city.
Back in Paris Woodrow Wilson
discovered that in his absence
Ciemenceau and Lloyd George had ar
! rived at an understanding to oppose
any and all leniency for Germany on
the part Of the powers which might