Evening star., 1934-03-11
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL r. KENNEDY.

"The smile of Franklin D. Roose-
velt is the most precious asset that
America has at the present moment"
that is a tribute to the President
from Joseph P. Tumulty, wartime
secretary to President Woodrow Will
son.
There Is one constitutional amend
rnent I would favor" said Mr. Tum-
ulty, "and that is one providing
that all Presidents of the United
States, executive secretaries. judges,
United States Senators and members
Of the House of Representatives, and
members of the brain trust should
have as a part of Their equipment
an Irish sense Of humor. Lincoln
had it," he pointed out Theodore
Roosevelt had it. Woodrow Wilson had
it and Franklin Roosevelt has it in
most abundant way. Were / asked
to make my choice as to whether
America should return to the gold
standard or Franklin Roosevelt should
lose his smile, would say-'give me
the smile OF Roosevelt smile that
| comes from a man. knowing the trag
! edy of great suffering, is able from
the high promontory Of his office to
buck us up. to stimulate us each day
| with a smile
You may recall the story of Lin
coin after the battle OF Bull Run,
when the tide was running against
the Northern Army. Some one walked
into the Presidents study and said
I greatly regret the tragedy of this
defeat Lincoln turned and said
Great God, I am not thinking about
Bull Run. l am wondering whom !
am going to appoint postmaster CT
Shelbyville.'
Then there was his reply to the
ministers who complained about Gen.
Grants drinking habits. Raising
himself to his full height and tower
ing above them he leaned over and
quietly confined to them-I wish I
could find out what kind of liquor the
general drinks, so that could supply
the other generals of the Army with
the same brand
And then, too. I recall Wilson S
sense Of humor Returning from the
Capitol the day he made his famous
speech to Congress regarding the
terms Of the armistice. which con-
cluded the war. he explained to me in
the automobile-'Well, Tumulty, 1
feel like the Irishman returning from
the war who was much banged up
and wounded. Illuminating over the
struggle through which he had passed,
the Irlshman said: Il have been in
the war to fight for my country; 1
have served my country, and 1 have
been wounded In behalf OF my coun-
try-but I'll be darned if l ever love
another country
Even the secretary to the President,
or if he is the outside man for the
President, ought TO have a sense of
Irish humor. To understand much is
~ forgive much. as the French
proverb runs. think being Irish and
having q sense Of hUmor helped to
keep me steady during the thrilling
days OF the war. 1t prevented me
from becoming embittered and vim
dictive- I remember little incident
which happened during the early days
OF my life at the White House. l was
told that a certain leading Democrat
from Maryland. tall ungainly farm
er. standing before the bar at the
Columbia Country Club, had out
rageously attacked the President and
the administration. saying that though
he had been an original Wilson man,
IL was impossible for him to gain any
recognition at the hands of the Presi-
dent. He ended his diatride by point
ing out that other men who had not
supported Wilson. had been recognized
while he had been left out in the
cold. Concluding his attack. he said
by way of philosophic animadversion-
Well boys, after all. it is always the
saueaking wheel that gets creased. >
l never wish to make an enemy of a
man who has the saving grace of
sense of humor. From my own ex-
perience in public Office, as secretary
TO the Governor of New Jersey and
secretary to the President of the
United States for eight years, I can
truthfully say that sense of
ELmor helps one over the hard road
Premier Nitti." Mr.. Tumulty con-
tinued, said that what the world
needs is a good laugh, for laughter
improves digestion and good diges-
tion helps ones judgement. 1t helps
to a better understanding of life it
self; and, understanding life, its up
and downs, its sorrows and foibles,
you can easily forgive and forget. A
man with sense of humor lives in
the present and the future, and con-
siders life as rhythmic thing, a thing
of lights and shadows, of sorrow and
suffering, of beautiful cadences, with
eternity, like Mount Rainier, snow
capped in the distance"