The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-02-07

to keeping his country neutral until
the submarine outrages began. He
was at first unable to believe that the
atrocities had the sanction of the
German government but was convinced
when they sunk the Lusitania< That
| incident brought the first rift in his
official family. William Jennings
Bryan, secretary of state, an avowed
pacifst, opposed Mr. Wilson's course
and left the cabinet. Mr.. Wilson new
ertheless went ahead and warned the
German government against sacrific-
ing the lives of American citizens.
Through diplomatic correspondence
which continued for two years, the
president built up a record which
reached its climax when he handled
passports to Count Johann Won Bern
storf, the German ambassador, and
asked congress to declare war which
it did. With that the president led
the nation into the tremendous effort
before it.
| Meanwhile, with a world war all
about him, Mr.. Wilson had found time
for an affair of the heart, He had
met Mrs. Edith Boiling Gait, the wi
dow of Washington merchant Their
courtship was swift and they were
married December IS, 1915. There
were no children Of this second mar
riage,
A presidential election had inter-
yened before the country went into
the war and this time Mr.. Wilson's
Republican opponent was Charles
Evans Hughes, who left the supreme
court bench to become a candidate.
The issues of that campaign were very
knluch muddled The Democratic slo-
gan was "He kept us out of war;" Mr..
Wilson's election, however, was by a
very narrow margin. The result trem-
bled in the balance three days and
finally turned in his favor when Cali
fornia finally Topped to the Demo
cratic column by a few votes. Mr..
Wilson got 277 votes in the electoral
college and Mr.. Hughes got 254.
Commander of Army.
+ President Wilson actually assumed
his place as commander inc chief of
1.-THE army snd navy. He took the, lead
ing part in planning Americas par
ticipation in the war. lie insisted
from the first for unified command
on the western front; for vigorous
measures to curb the submarine men
ace. He personally initiated much of
the war legislation such as the pass
age of the selective service law, the
creation Of the shipping board, war
industries board, the war labor board
and multitude of other arms of the
o,Y17 fo1s
gle. He devoted his VIII !c being to
the war, seeing nobody and thinking
of nothing else Some of his days
probably were like Lincoln's.
1t was President Wilson who con-
Quoted the correspondence with Chan
cellor Max of Germany when the re-
quest for an armistice came, and
once the Germans laid down their
arms he turned his thought wholly
FROM war to peace, telling his friends
that while Germany must be made to
pay to her full ability, Europe must
not have another Alsaee-L Lorraine.
Weakened by War.
1t was quite a different Woodrow
Wilson who sat in the presidents
chair when the war ended. With
hair whigened and face lined he show
Led the effects. He had learned some
thing about men and human nature.
He had learned, he told a friend that
some men become great and others
swell up" but his penchant for do
ing things himself never had lessened.
He wrote state papers and read them
to the cabinet afterward; he became
impatient with men who disagreed
with him and frequently dismissed
them. He quarreled with friends who
in turn reproached him with being UNI
grateful but he always kept on his
course having once decided upon it.
Peace in sight, Mr.. Wilson decided
to go to Europe himself and take
hand in making it. Congress, no long
er the suppliant hand maiden it was
during his first administration roared
its disapproval. Mr.. Wilson assured
congress that in the day of wireless
and cable it would know ali ne did.
As a matter OF fact he told congress
very little of what he was doing, or
anybody else for that matters until it
was done. That was not Mr.. Wilson's
way. The result was that he commit
ted the United States to the League
of Nations and was repudiated.
At the Peace Conference.
President Wilson's participation in
the memorable peace congress had
been described by many pens, friendly
and unfriendly, and his part was so
indelbly written in recent history
that it needs little attention in q