Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-15
CHAPTER XXI.

America. NOTlu
by Current News Features, Incorporated.)
CHAPTER XXI.
TOR one who was able by the
printed word to reach into
the hearts of men and women
everywhere and raise aIoft the ban
ner of liberalism, nothing seems so
surprising as the relations between
Woodrow Wilson and the press.
From the beginning of his public
career until the end, they constitute
ed n series Of Misunderstanding and
unfortunate clashes. Mr.. Wilson S
quarrel with the press was not per
sonal-it was impersonal. He dis
agreed with the methods of Amer1-
can Journalism. He was contemp-
tuous of that type of newspaper, for
instance, which is given over to lev
ity and what he considered trivial
ity. and withholds from its readers
the substance Of the days news,
national and international. To him
the London Times was the Creates
newspaper in the world because 1t
printed more actual news about hap
penings the world over than did any
other newspaper.
The growing tendency in recent
wears in America to anticipate news
and to discuss future events or the
processes by which conclusions are
reached were deeply resented by Mr..
Wilson. His theory was that moth
ing was news until it was completed
that a discussion was Of secondary
Importance, and that only conclu-
sions or decisions were of interest
to the public.
TO some extent Mr. Wilson's ear
ly antipathies toward the press were
justified He made a trip to New
England once when he was presi-
dent of Princeton, and in the course
of a public speech said he cared far
more for the opinion of people who
gathered around the country store
and spat tibacco juice into the stove
than he did for some Of the opinions
expressed in the clustered clubs of
the big cities. Much to his surprise
some newspaper headlines reported
next day that Woodrow Wilson ad-
vocated the chewing of tobacco.
Green Reporters Annoyed Him
On another occasion, when he was
president-elect, some of the metro
politan newspapers assigned repor-
ters to his headquarters who were
so unfamiliar with national affairs
that Mr. Wilson was plainly 1rrltat-
ed When he was asked one day
concerning his talks with callers he
mentioned that he had had a con-
ference with Senator Reed. One OF
the neWspapermen asked what state
Mr.. Reed was from, and also If ne
was a United states senator. other
instances OF clumsy handling OF
news in which Mr.. Wilson was con.
cerned gave him no little cause Tor
annoyance.
During the 1912 campaign, Gov
ernor Wilson was as pleasant ana
sociable a companion in the news
paper car as any candidate had ever
been. He exchanged confidences
freely, TESTED good naturedlys and
was, in all respects what the poll
ticians call a good fellow" AS presi-
dent-elect, he began to Sow signs of
intolerance which was intensified
when he reached the White House.
Responsibility and the seriousness of
the problems with which Woodrow
Wilson was struggling made him
less and less communicative with the
perss. He rarely read the neWspa-
pers which were bitterest in their at
tacks upon him.
The newspapermen in Washington
were disposed to be kindly and show
ed every desire to give him fair treat
ment. For many months he re-
ceived them in semi-weekly confer
ences, answering questions literally,
but not always Ccmprehensively He
showed now and then an indignation
over the character of the interroga-
tons, and upon occasion fenced with
his callers very much as a witness
who was being cross examined.
Many newspapermen \ lost faith IN
the candor of Mr.. Wilson. They felt
that he made use of the official de-
NAL too often, and that back Of his
negatives was an eGuiVoCal state
ment. For instance, one day, early
in his administration, a newspaper
printed a dispatch from Washing
ton stating that Attorney General
! McReynolds had made a proposal to
| a senate committee with reference to
LEGISLATION affecting the tobacco
| trust. Mr.. Wilson. was asked about
| it. and said he knew nothing about
any proposal. silence followed the
answer, and finally one OF the news
paper men inquired If he knew that
the Attorney General had been In
communication with the senate COM
mittee and Mr.. Wilson replied:
ooh yes, he made some sugges-
tons"
Conferences Abandoned
In Mr. Wilson'S mind suGGes-
ton and proposal were altogether
different. Yet to the newspaper men
it was a simple case OF splitting
hairs. Mr.. Wilson did not long con-
tinue his conferences with the cor
respondents; in fact, 1t was newt
able that they should come to an end
! when the war broke out because the
questions relating to, the war were OF
such delicate nature that impromptu
answers were not to Mr.. Wilson's adj
vantage nor to the public generally,
because neutrality. and later war,
offered so much opportunity for mis-
understanding that only carefully
worded statements prepared in adj
vance were used to convey the gov
eminent viewpoint.
Contrary TO the general impression,
/ Mr.. Wilson did not have any favor
ties among the newspaper men when
he was in me White House. He did
not believe in that kind of relation
ship. President Roosevelt had ia.
vorite group, and frequently inspired
certain stories in order to test out
public opinion. Mr. Wilson was
urged to adopt such a policy, but he
would not do so. In all of his eighr
years he probably gave less time to
conference with individual newspa-
permen than did any president pre-.
ceding him, and certainly much less
than has any president since his au
ministration. Mr.. Wilson had nc
special channel throuSh which he