The Washington times., 1924-02-04
PARTY GR|EVES
At DEATHOF
LEADER
Democrats See Great Asset IN
Memory of Ideals
Wilson Urged.
By WILLIAM HARD.

Feelings of profound grief are
struggling with feeling of equally
profound relief in the minds Of most
Democratic leaders here today as
they discourse upon the circum-
stances and the results of the
death Of ex-President Wilson. They
experience sadly sense Of per-
sonal loss. Of national loss and of
world loss, while at the same time
they also experience and in many
cases openly express a sense Of
relieved freedom from an influence
which they morally respected but
which politically bad come to be
always likely to cause them incal-
culable trouble.
They now look forward to being
able to conduct the campaign Of
1924 in accordance with cautious
plans which will not be interrupted
by exacting letters or speeches on
the subject of the League Of Ma
t1ons from the ex-presidential house
on S street. Their pride in Wood
row Wilson, the great world figure,
will no longer be complicated with
annoyance over the outbreaks Of
Woodrow Wilson the convinced and
unchanging international idealist.
Memory an Asset.
They believe that the memory of
woodrow Wilson and the increasing
national American recollection OF
the great place which he occupied
in the eye of the whole world win
be an increasingly great asset to
the Democratic party. This asset,
they feel, is of inestimable value
to them, and they breathe easier
now as they realize that it will no
longer be weakened for them by
any further factional feuds Of the
sort that caused ex-President VIII
sons letter to Tennessee, denounc-
ing Senator Shields (Dem.) Of that
State.
Republicans are joining Demo
Gratis today in forgetting Woodrow
Wilson, the partisan, and in doing
honor to Woodrow Wilson, the
American who made the power OF
America the decisive power in the
winning of the worlds greatest
war. Nicholas Longworth, Repub-
lican leader Of the House of Rep
resentatives, will rise today in the
House to speak Of Woodrow VIII
sons high and secure place at the
peak Of the supreme moment Of our
age.
Disagreeing with many of Wood
row Wilson's policies, and still re-
sentihg many Of Woodrow Wilson's
methods, Mr.. Longworth and other
Republicans are nevertheless sin
cerely able to pay homage to the
stupendous proportions of the place
which Woodrow Wilson made for
himself and for his country at the
moment of the greatest international
crisis of modern times.
1t is also appropriately remem-
bered here today, while the inquiry
into the naval oil reserve leases
is temporarily discontinued, that a
great and vigorous, but only re-
Gently disclosed communication
from Woodrow Wilson was once
the means of saving the naval oil
reserves to the future use Of the
Navy. The Interior Department
during Mr.. Wilson g administration
planned to grant leases on the
naval oil reserves almost precisely
in the same spirit in which they
were granted by the
Interior Department and the Navy
under President Hard
ing. The policy pursued by Mr.. AL
bert B. Fall in this matter, as Sec
retary Of the Interior in President
1arding's cabinet. had already been
at certain moment the policy of
the Interior Department when Mr..
Wilson was in the White House.