Evening star., 1924-03-04
The True Story of
Woodrow Wilson
DAVID LAWRENCE.

there were republicans in close
cratic convention, certain republicans
who heard the rumor began talking
about 1t and wondered IL 1t were
worth investigating further. The in
veStigatton was made and disclosed
nothing improper and the matter was
dropped.
Denounced ms Absurd.
One Of the highest officials Of the
republican administration then in
power subsequently told the author
that In a casual conversation with
Dean Andrew F. West, Mr.. Wilson's
archenemy in Princeton, the latter
had said in 1912 that the gossip at
Baltimore was absurd and was al
together news to the people who had
known Mr.. Wilson for twenty years
or more in Princeton. When Mr.. Will
son was elected President he took
muda for a rest. They occupied the
cottage of the woman who had been
mentioned as the recipient of at
tention from Mr.. Wilson in earlier
days. She was not in Bermuda at
the time. When the President-elect
and Mrs. Wilson returned to New
York they motored from the dock
to the hotel where their hostess of
bermuda was making her home. Mrs.
Wilson on at least two occasions
later invited her to the White House
for luncheon.
The correspondence which sprung
up was typical of Mr.. Wilson's gen.
eral attitude toward old friends. He
fVn Il tSsrey
in his letters and found a means of
self-expression In these communica-
tions. 1t was an inspiration to him
to write. He made no especial secret
of his fondness for letter writing.
These mental adventures took him
dens and responsibilities as a. good
detective story or game of golf
proves diverting to SO many men
nowadays.
Old Gossip Is Revived.
From 1912 until the latter part of
1915 not a word was heard about this
episode. But when announcement
was made of Mr.. Wilson's prospec-
tive marriage to Mrs. Calf there was
noticeable revival Of the old gos-
sip. At one time the renewal of
this campaign was attributed to
German sympathizers who were par
ticularly bitter because Of Mr.. Will
sons alleged unneutrality. BY the
time the 1916 presidential contest was
in full swing the same rumors which
had been heard in 1912 had been SO
widely distributed that hardly a part
of the United States was immune
from the whispering campaign. The
author in his canvass of political
sentiment from coast to coast in 1916
visited many states and invariably
was asked what effect the wide
spread discussion of Mr.. Wilson's per-
sonal life was having in other states.
The democratic national campaign
committee was fully aware of the effort
to damage Mr.. Wilson's candidacy, but
was powerless to meet the accusations
by any direct means except to point to
his exceptionally happy home life.
Nothing but the death Of Mrs Ellen
Axson Wilson in August. 1914, broke
the bond which had existed between
these two people since they first became
engaged in 1888. Mrs. Wilson gave her
whole life and energy to her husband
standing devotedly at his side through
the strain of his many battles at Prince
ton and through the trying days when
his health broke. for the pressure on
him was go great that he twice SUI
fered a serious breakdown before he
came to the White House.
"Tfp'' Proves Bnseless.
Just what was the true source Of the
effort to hurt Mr. Wilson by a campaign
against his personal life will probably
never be known. That it was malicious
cannot be doubted. For instance, about
a year after the death of Mrs. Wilson,
on the night before Thanksgiving day.
1915, several of the more important
newspaper bureaus in Washington were
called on the telephone and mysteriously
given a tip to the effect that important
court proceedings had been filed involv-
ing Mr.. Wilson. The newspaper men
could not afford to ignore the informa-
ton, and yet they disbelieved it. Many
of them spent the better part Of a week
investigating the story and found 1t
baseless. Dissatisfied with this the rlmor
mongers tried another tack, and insisted
that prominent lawyers knew the cir
cumstances. Every lawyer named was
visited, but none knew anything about
it. The fact was the story was made
out of whole cloth for some purpose the
true nature of which probably is known
only to those who originated 1t. Sneers
from the Senate cloakroom were carried
to Mr.. Wilson, and helped to develop
certain personal bitterness with men on
Capitol HILL Occasionally Mr.. Wilson,
was told that one or two newspapers
had planned to attack him in connection
with the old gossip. Mr.. Wilson was al
ways ready to meet the SANDER square,
ly-he never flinched.
President Wilson was not the only oc-
cupant of the White House, however.
who had to contend with a campaign of
innuendo. All sorts of ugly rumors
have from time to time been current
respecting the character of our Presi-
dents either relating to excessive drink
ing or indulgence Of one kind or an
other. but they can be traced almost
always to the people who harbor a
erudge-and there are many persons
who fancy themselves aggrieved by the
acts Of public officials.
(TOmOrrOw's chapter will deal with
Mr.. Wilson's attitude toward the fair
sex-why he first opposed and then
favored woman suHrage.)