Seward daily gateway., 1924-02-09


 ly audiences to the Washington news, paper correspondents. He said the White House would Je wide open " but correspondents were not seen by him during the war. He declined mem bership in an exclusive golf club at the Capital and joined very modest one where he went to play his favor ite outdoor game Later he determin- ed on rounds of all the outdoor clubs and included the fashionable ones.
 When Congress assembled for the extraordinary session to revise the tariff it was announced that MT. Will son would go personally to the Capi- toI and read his message to the House and Senate assembled in joint session. It hadn't been done since the days of Adams and Jefferson. Congress had been used to having the Presidential messages transmitted in writing. On April 6, 1913, contrary to all modern practice MT. Wilson appeared in per son before Congress. Republicans re- sented being lecture1 like a lot of schoolboys," but the Democrats ap- proved the new method and cheered. His words, at any rate, were receiv- ed with the closest attention.
 The President later gaze notice of what he expected congress to accom- plish before adjournment The :ariff revised after long and acrimonious debate and charges by Mr. Wilson | that big corporations were mal'taln- ing Hobbies at the Capitol to obstiuct his program, le announced that the next move was to reform the curren' cy It had belu long, giurlliLg ses- | sion. and a hot sultry Sumnn4 was at hand. Despite this, the President de- clared he intended to remain in Wash ington until Congress put through his other pledge to the people. What fol- lowed was the enactment of the Fed eral Reserve banking system on Dec ember 23, 1913, the object of which was to make the National currency more elastic and prevent panics. 1 "The Federal Reserve Act " it has been said, twas the result of long discussion by statesmen, financiers, economists and bankers and was a constructive measure based upon and | 0f ioI, ho6 been introduced in Congress within a period covering 20 or more years" Domestic concerns of the country during the Presidents first year were serene enough; foreign affairs were not so tranquil. The Mexican situa- tion and the anti-alien law discussion in California, subject offensive to ! the Japanese, confronted Mr. Wilson almost at the outset of his administra- tion.
 ' A revolutionary coup d. etat in Mex ica had overthrown President Madero and placed in dictatorship General \ Victoriano Huerta. Within few days President Madero and Vice President N Suarez were assassinated in Mexico | City President Taft had deferred re \ cognizing the Huerta government and I left the incoming President free to make his own decisions. Mir. Wilson refused to recognize Huerta and for months thereafter followed a policy of what he called "watchful waiting" He isolated Huerta's government by plac- | ing an embargo upon the shipment of arms and ammunition. Meanwhile, he permitted troops of Venustiano Car ranza, calling themselves the Consti- tutionalist forces, to import war sup plies from the United States.
 Two results of the embroglio were the occupation of Vera Cruz by Amer ican forces in April 1914 and the mil itary expedition for the capture ol killing of the Mexican bandit, Fran cisco Villa, led by General Pcrshing in \ March, 1916, following a raid and mas sacre of American citizens of Colum-- bus N. M Finally Carranzas gov ernment triumphed and was recogniz ', ed.
 On August If, 1914, few days af ter the beginning of the World War Il the Panama canal was opened to navi gation. Great Britain previously had been pressing the United States to :a peal the provision of the Panama ca nal Act wh ,ch gave free passage to American coastWiSe ships through the waterway. She contcnded it was in violation of the Hay ,Pauncefote trea
 ty. President Wilson ag,s.ai with l, this view and personally appeared be fore congress and asked it to nullify the tolls exemption clause on the ground that if this request were not granted he would not know how tt deal with other matters of great i'm , portance. It was the Presidents frs test of strength, and, although he was opposed in his stand by Speaker
 Clark and other leading democrats the tolls exemption was repealed. When the European conflict burs , upon the world in all its fury Presi l dent Wilson in an address to his fel , low countrymen counselled them to bt , strictly neutral. Exerting every ef fort to avert the drawing of the Unit r ed States into the maelstrom, fol , nearly three years he drew upon him l self the bitterest criticism of some o | his staunchest friends. About thi' , time, speaking of the example of Am : erica in regard to peace, he said.