The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-02-14

was at first unable to believe that
the atrocities had the sanction OF
the German government but was
convinced when they sunk the Lusi-
tania. The incident brought the
first rift in his official family. Will
liam Jennings Bryan, secretary of
state, an avowed pacifist, opposed
Mr.. Wilson's course and left the cab
met. MI. Wilson nevertheless went
ahead and warned the German gov
eminent against sacrificing the lives
of American citizens. Through a dip
lomatic correspondence which con-
tinued for two years, the president
built up a record which reached its
climax when he handed passports TO
Count Johann Won Bernstorff, the
German ambassador, and asked Con-
gress to declare war, which it did.
With that the president led the ma
ton into the tremendous task before
it.
Affair of the Heart
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
widow of a Washington merchant.
Their courtship was swift and they
were married Dec. 18, 1915. There
were no children of this second mar
riage.
A presidential election had inter
vened 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 much muddled. The democratic
was she kept us out of war;"
Mr.. Wilson's election, however, was
by a very narrow margin. The re-
suit trembled in the balance three
days and finally turned in his favor
when California Topped to the demo-
cratic column by a few votes. Mr..
Wilson got 277 votes in the elector-
al college and Mr.. Hughes got. 254.
President Wilson actually assumed
his place as commander in chief of
he army and navy. He took the
eading part in planning Americas
participation in the war. He insist
ID from the first for a unified COM
nand on the western front; for Wig
measures to curb the subma-
inc menace. He personally initial {
ID much of the war legislation, such {
IS the passage of the selective serv- t
&c law, the creation of the shipping
'oard, the war industries board, the
var labor board and a multitude of t
Their arms of the government for t
arrying on the struggle. He de- Y
oted his whole being to the war, t
eeing nobody and thinking of moth e
1g else. Some of his days probably S
yere like Lincoln's. J
Turns to Peace 1
1t was President Wilson who con- s
ucted the correspondence with a
hancellor Max of Germany, when e
ne request for an armistice came, c
nd onc the Germans laid down Il
leir arms he turned his thoughts e
holly from war to peace, telling his
lends that, while Germany must
: made to pay to her full ability, D.
urope must not have another Alsace Ct
orraine. 81
1t was quite a different Woodrow 81
'ilson who sat in the presidents Sc
lair when the war ended. With hair OF
hitened and face lined, he showed IN
e effects. He had learned some D!
ing about men and human nature.
2 had learned, he told a friend,
hat some men become great and m
hers swell up" but his penchant 1
r doing things himself had never su
;sened. He wrote state papers and De
ad them to the cabinet a~fterward; SC
became impatient with men who on
;agreed with him and frequently Tn
3missed them. He q~uarreled with M
ends who in t,,rn renroacbed him Sc
being ungrateful, but he al Tn
US kept on his course having once Tn
cided upon it. sa'
coAs 70 Eurone in!
Peace in sight, Mr.. Wilson decided ca
go to Europe himself and take a
nd in making it. Congress, no
ger the suppliant hand-maiden it =
S during the first administration, ha.
red its disapproval. Mr.. Wilson he
ured congress that in the day of tire
'eless and cable, it would know all tor
did. AS a matter of fact he told rec
lgress very little of what he was en-!
ng, or anybody else, for that mat not
until it was done, That was not mo
Wilson's way. The result was ito
t he committed the United States wo
the League of Nations and was nal
udiated. Ian
President Wilson's participation to
the memorable peace congress are
been described by many pens, wa
.ndly and u~nfriendly, and his part
so indelibly written in recent not
DRY that it needs little attention cep
a brief of his life works. ing