The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-04-05
Joseph P. TumuIty, SeCre-
tary, Renders Tears on
Eve of Conflict.
SADDENED BY PLAUDITS
Commented on Cheers
Shortly Before Last Step.

WASHINGTON, April 5. Ten
years years after the United States
entered the world war, one poignant
memory of his chief, Woodrow Will
son, stood out today above many
others of those vivid days in the
mind Joseph p Tumulty, secretary,
adviser and conhdant of the war
President.
1t was the time when the Presi-
dent of the United States bowed his
head upon the long table in the
cabinet room at the White House
and sobbed as if he had been a child,
the pent-up emotion of weary, anxi-
Gus hours bursting forth at a word
of sympathy from a friend.
Tears After Cheers
Tumulty described the scene to-
day. 1t was April ., 1917. The
President had delivered his message
to Congress. asking for war, which
was voted four days later. With
the plaudits of thousands along
Pennsylvania Ave. ringing in his
ears, he had returned to the White
House.
He and Tumulty sat talking of
the event in the Cabinet room,
which adjoins the Presidents office.
Wilson told his secretary many
things, opened his heart, told him
why he had decided to lead the
United States in to the war, why
he had waited until this time.
Referred to Burdens
"He told me it had no. been easy
to carry the burdens in these trying
times, Tumulty said today
Then the President showed his
secretary a letter from a newspaper
editor in Massachusetts,. 1t was in
reply to a note from Wilson. The
writer expressed appreciation for
the note, seeing in it "a very human
touch"
THE President said to me, that
man understood me and sym
pathized, " Tumulty continued.
Tears came into his eyes. He
took his handkerchief from his
pocket and wiped them away. Then
he laid his head on the table there
and sobbed-sobbed as if he had
been a child
Picturing the scene, Tumulty
said that when he and the President
first entered the cabinet room on
that fateful April ., Wilson sat ST
lently for several minutes, his face
pale.
Death Message
Then he turned to me- lie spoke
Of the applause along the avenue
from the Capitol and said; Think
what it was they were applauding.
My message today was a message
of death for our young men. How
strange it seems to applaud that
There is the key for an under
standing of Woodrow Wilson to my
mind. He hated and dreaded war.
He dreaded it because he had mag
ination-and a heart.
Never will I forget that scene
| there in the Cabinet room, just the
two Of us there. The President
looked like a man who had thrown
off old burdens only to take on new
ones.
Hurt by Criticism
He showed in the conversation
| that day that the criticism hurled at
him for months for not going to war
with Germany sooner had hurt him
! deeply. ] saw that he felt very keen
ly the significance and tragedy of
the step he had Just taken in that
message to Congress.
He opened his heart to me, traced
his course. lie said that he had seen
the end of it all from the beginning.
but that he could not move faster
than the people would permit. He
explained that he had tried to make
every part Of the country, all the
people, understand that the United
States was willing to go to any
length rather than go to war with
Germany.
1T would have been foolish. he
said. to go to war over one isolated
incident like the sinking of the Lusi-
tamil. But now, he went on, there
was only one course left open, and
We must prepare for the inevitable
"a fight to the end.
His life, he said, would be full
of tragedy and heartache until it
was all over.
LAS he spoke I saw him no longer
as Woodrow Wilson, the protagonist
Of peace, but as Woodrow Wilson,
the stern warrior, determined to pur.
sue the great cause of America to
the end"
Tumulty paused.
Then he said that while he ap-
peared to be Indifferent to the cri-
ticism heaped upon him, that a few
had understood and had sympathized.
1t was then he showed me the
letter-and afterward broke down
and sobbed."
This is what Tumulty recalled to-
day, out of those dramatic hours
when the United States was thrust
into the World War-a leader with
heart, a lonely man, sobbing at
the touch Aof sympathy and under
standing.