Evening star., 1924-02-04
TRAITS UNUSUAL
FOR PRESIDENT
Wilson Most Extraordinary
Character in White House
History.
W0RSHIPED AND HATED
Single Track" Mind Made Him
Man of Few Init
mates.
N0RSHIPED AND HATED
BY the Associated Press.

in many respects the most unusual
that ever inhabited the White House.
1t commanded from millions an ad-
miration approaching worship; 1t
aroused in others aversions amount
ing to hatreds.
Mr.. Wilson, himself, acknowledged
that he had "single track mind"
Friends acknowledged he was re-
served, critics said he was cold. His
few intimates declared he was neither
and joined in acclaiming him one of
the most delightful of associates.
Mr. Wilson's seclusion. and his
scarcity of intimates. were outstand-
ing 1t was said of him by those
who ought to know that he called
only two men of his wide acquaint
ance by the first names. They were
Cleveland II. Dodge and Cyrus Fl. Nc
Cormick. Even f. NJ. House of
Texas. who was supposed to have
been as close to Mr.. Wilson as any
other man during his incumbency of
the White House. never reached a
state where Mr.. Wilson called him
ED" or Edward" Neither did Mr..
Wilson call him Colonel" the COM
plimentary title by which Mr.. House
was most commonly known. Through
all their intimacy up to the moment
of the celebrated breaking off point,
Mr.. Wilson always called him simply
House"
The one enduring friendship which
Mr.. Wilson made in the White House
was with his personal physician, Rear
Admiral Cary T. GraySon. who re-
stored him to health when he came
into the presidency sick man;
watched over him and prolonged his
life several years.
Preferred Own Counsel.
Woodrow Wilson had way of
thinking things out for himself and
making his own decisions. When he
was working through n crucial mo-
ment, he invariably shut himself up
in his study, and used his own type
writer. He called for Information
cision, but he preferred to have it in
written form. He wanted the facts
cold and untinged with the person
ality of the purveyor.
When he got mad-and he did get
mad once in a while just as any other
man-it was his favorite trick to jam
on his hat and walk around to cool
off" He did that when he heard the
Germans had torpedoed the Lusitania.
then he came back to his study, full
master of his emotions, and penned
the historic note to Germany which
forecast war. He read il to the cabi-
net and the Secretary of State after
it was well on its way over the cables
toward Berlin. 1t was typical of Will
sons way. Having decided on a
course of action he wanted no advice
Cabinet meetings during the Wilson
administration were described as a
morning in the schoolrom with the
"Schoolma Ster.'
1t was said of Mr.. Wilson that his
seclusion in the White House result
ed. partially. at least from some mis-
he, got about Washington
and its atmosphere before he took
office. Somebody, so the story went,
Journeyed to Princeton and told him
that there was a local ring of social
celebrities, bankers, and others. who
profited most from the prestige of
association at the White House. Mr..
Wilson. it was said made up his mind
to have none of their company. He
further determined not to have on his
visiting list committees of bankers,
railroad presidents and manufacturers
when he was considering public ques-
tionS in which they were interested.
The result was thai, when Mr.. Will
son moved his family--a wife and
three daushters-to the White House.
he Stunned the formal state parlors
on the lower floor leaving them to
the tourists, and installed himself
with his own family effects includ-
ing the sewing machine on the sec
ond floor, where the Wilson's recreat-
ed their old home at Princeton. Fam
lily life on that scale continued until
the death of Mrs. Wilson and the mar
riage of two of her daughters
MIR. Wilson paid his first respect to
the local aristocracy by declining an
invitation to join Chevy Chase Club,
the most exclusive golf, dinner and
dancing organization in the city, and
obscure poor mans club On one of
his first rounds over the links he failed
to hear the fore of local merchant,
who paid his respect in language not
usually addressed to President Of the
United States. Mr.. Wilson threw down
his clubs and walked off the links He
did not return until a committee Of the
club called with an apology.
All social functions were discontin-
ued during the war, and the President
saw practically nobody. Cabinet meet
ings were postponed for weeks at a
time.
He was not slow in making deci-
sions. and having made them. at
tempts to reverse them generally
were futile. 1t was a common saying
that he became impatient with those
who disagreed with him He dubbed
one prominent adviser. THE cham
pion acquiescer of the world and
later dismissed him from his official
to be enjoying the highest favor.
Some Light Reading.
There was a good deal of exagger-
alton about Mr.. Wilson's penchant
for reading detective stories, al
though he did do some light reading
He took to golf as health measure
at his doctors orders and learned
to like it; he liked light music and
the theater when the entertainment
was diverting.
When he left the White House and
moved to a home in the heart of the
exclusive residence district, he con-
tinued life of seclusion in which his
only diversions were a motor ride
occasional visit to a vaudeville show.
Occasionally he invited to lunch or
dinner some man who had been
closely associated with his admins
tration during the war period, but
he had no more intimates out of the
White House than he did while in it,