Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-03

son said with a smile to Lloyd
George. concerning the relative
strength of the British and Ameri-
can navies. and 1t might disclose that
Mr.. Wilson went to the peace confer
ence prepared to withdraw, as he
threatened to do. in its midst.
Swift Strokes Hold Attention.
Until the beginning of the world
war Mr.. Wilson held the attention OF
the country with his swift strokes Of
getting legislation from Congress.
With the coming of the war he de.
voted the last two years of his first
term to an attempt to keep the
United States out of the conflict. and
as the seemingly inevitable drift
toward war set In. he gradually as
sumed the diplomatic leadership or
the nations arrayed against GERMANY
and her allies. and finally assumed
what his partisans characterized as
the moral leadership OF the world.
During the diplomatic corre-
, spondence with Germany he dis
played many homely human emo
lions.
On May Z. 1915. when Mr.. Wilson
heard the news of the sinking of
the Lusitania, h> was almost at the
end Of his patience. Like a man
making last effort to avoid q quar-
rel with wife who has Just laid on
the last straw. he clapped on his hat
and went out and walked around
| the block. He knew how to give
vent to his emotions on other occa-
sions and has been known to say
something stronger than the tut.
| tut which has been accredited to
him on having made a faux pas at
golf. However cold and austere he
may have been accounted in his
dealings with public men. those who
have been privileged to view his
family life from the inside of the cir
Gle testify that he is intensely
human.
Mr.. Wilson was not stricken on the
league of nations speaking trip in
the west, as is popularity supposed,
to the White House. Warning sig
nails of the coming attack were
what caused. him return. For three
days after ne came back he seemed
motor ride the day before he was
laid low, and on the night before
played billiards. The seizure came in
| the night, at an hour when the
President was alone, and he was
found stricken just before daylight.
Real Condition Kept secret.
| For. week his life was despafred
Of but shis real condition was kept
secret by his family. Then came a
turn for the better and for many
weeks he was confined to his bed--a
bed I'm which Abraham Lincoln be-
/. fore him probably had passed many a
night of pain and .sleeplessness of q
different nature. Even the White
House barber was not admitted to
the room. and Mr. Wilson. usually
clean shaven, grew a beard, and
made .humorous.remarks to his physi-
clans. and family as he brushed 1t
for amusement.sever times day.
Z In the midst of the Illness an un-
looked for muscular complication set
/ in and refused to yield to treatment
While. physicians and surgeons anx-
iously ! consulted downstairs as to
whether the Presidents =. physique
could Withstand the shock of. q sur
gical operation and had about de-
cided that 1t was a life or death
chance. a nurse arrived with the
news that nature had INTERVIEWED and
: that the operation would be un-
necessary. From that moment. slow
recovery set in.
! Motor nerves which had refused to
respond to needle pricks showed
signs. Of reaction. Pretty soon Mr.
!. Wilson was about in wheel chair
A few weeks later he was learning
| to walk again with the support OF
| an attendant. Massage, electricity
and everything known to science
were employed to coax his muscular
faculties back into action, Then he
: got out Of doors for motor rides, and
!. received some visitors. He took up q
routine Of a few hours work each
day debating IL stenographerS. AND
! increased the 1time as strength