Show WilSON NOW J LIABILITY TO BOURBONS Y s Such i II h Is David La Lawrences Lawrence's es e's Finding Eluding g After Talking I With i All S Sorts of People i I i About Lansing's s 's Dismissal J By Y David Lawrence Lawrencet Copyright t by Salt LaLo Lako m Herald aJ t L Washington ton Feb 21 Three days ars outside of ot Washington talking with In all walks of ot life liCe people in v se cm York state Michigan and Illinois Illinois Illi Illi- nois OiS' OiS has given Riven the writer an idea of ot othow how hen a 3 section cross-section of ot AI American public public public pub pub- lic opinion feels about the UIO 1 break And Uio tho odd part t of oC It II ItIs itis Is that on m. m my return to Washington on I Ind Ind nd hardly a realization or Of the tho as astounding astounding as- as political effect which the ep episode ep- ep sodo has had The Tito national capital b has bus hasso s so 50 many sensations that it Is often oHen r calloused to cabinet resignations and md regards them ns as mere flurries It is true truo that the editorial l expression has been almost unanimous In condemning the tho abrupt dismissal of ot Secretary sin sing g but even e editorials ore CUe some some- brushed aside in this Intensely 3 year ear by administration men menan menan an ephemeral ephemera hysteria bound to pass sooner or later i Opinion Is hi Uniform Uniforms Not so however er Is the tiro jud of or he average erae man r I encountered In such In laces es as Binghamton and Syracuse In New ew cw York Yer state Detroit or Chicago o arid and and on on the trains traveling traveling- between these points Never in m my own has It seemed to mo me that ion don was wag so uniform Democrats and Republicans alike disapprove c of or what I tire the President has bas done but the ret re- re t blo and amI significant fact fac h however eer is jS not mere condemnation or of what nan has but wonder about what will happen No Xo matt matter r where one went question that was s shot ot back was Did the Presidents President's illness have anything any any- thing to do with that Lansing letter leUerT l y i as one no u raIght to offset such I an nn impression there Is no doubt that eVer cV every ry act of or President V Wilson lson from this tills time on will be subjected to an embarrassing scrutiny Tho The Incident made has amazing inroads on that Intangible In- In tangible ta hIe ye yet t. t all important t. t factor In Int government t t namely public confidence Once tOnco that is forfeited politicians of ot the opposite party seem strengthened streng and permitted to lo reap the benefits atthe of at the situation n Are Arc As for morale among the the- Democrats I talked with a few leaders who are aro wool thc Wilson men tho the kind who will will defend defend to the tho last ditch the appeal in 1918 for tor a a. Democrat Democrat Democrat Demo Demo- crat Congress and who will excuse nearly everything c he has done dono In seven sc years But their frame of of mind on on th the th X Lansing episode was one ono of helpless helplesS' mess Dess ess and bewilderment Their h lr attitude was analogous to that of or the hero worshiping fans who have havo admired all season long IonS the brilliant playing of or a L fielder only to see seo him throw the tho telling telling- game In the world worlds s series ries by dropping the ball in the ninth inning with three men base They have memories of brilliant past performances and their chagrin Is mingled mingled min min- with disappointment of the keenest keenest keenest keen keen- est est sort It Is curious indeed that much of ot the feeling is that of ot pity People wonder why the tho President wasn't stopped by someone In the tho inner circle circlet I t from passing out the Lansing Lansing- letter re plo suspect even that the l 1 dents outburst on the Flume Question question question ques tion Is la pique and temper I find tind hero tin Jin W Washington a a. little echo of at that foreign diplomats say that the the- effect affect of the dismissal of Lansing was to 1 cr create creato to an impression In Europe that J the tho President was suffering from the tedium of a a. lon long illness and and now they believe I l his threat to withdraw the f treaty Is part and parcel of or the circumstances ciri cir cir- i t surrounding his Illness It would be tragic if it Europe Europa be began an discounting die dis- counting American action because of ot tho the Indisposition of the tho President real realor realor or Imaginary little Int Interest In Flume But out In th away from Washington there really isn't much interest in the Fiume question It is isa isa a little too involved and Intricate for tor tho the average O man to understand wIthout without wIth wIth- out study and ho be is t far r too busy at attending attending attending at- at tending to his domestic troubles to rend read up on the with t. t the Jugo Jugo- Sla SlaYs slavs v s. s Tho The expulsion of ot Lansing from the cabinet is 18 something something- he can understand understand under under- stand Ho no never knew much about Lansing If It ono one wants to discover how Low important cabinet a a. Job Is as a aruin I rulo ruin let Jet him ask outside of at Washington to give the tho names of or half halt the members of or the tho cabinet of ot this or any allY other President It wasn't sympathy t- t thy y for tor Lansing or even a passing concern concern concern con con- cern about the secretary of ot states state's dif dl- fer of at opinion n with his superior officer that occasioned d the outburst t ton on the tho part of or th the average man It was merely that thal his credulity was taxed by the tho first sentence In Mr Wilsons Wilsons Wilson's Wil Wil- sons son's letter which asked Is It true etc that cabinet meetings had been beon hel held during during- his Illness It was a n simple simple simple sim sim- sot set of ot circumstances cas easy to grasp People remembered that when the President not got ot sick tho the cabinet did meet Tho They dont don't understand yet why It shouldn't v IH have met overt oven if It technically technically technically cally It was wrong wron- to do so They have grown ro n accustomed during the war period to technicalities brushed aside in tho Interest of ot the war emergency emergency emergency emer emer- gency and they still GUil expect government officials to go ahead when thero is and do dothe dothe dothe no specific provision of ot law the best thins thing for the tho country countr They The seem to think thin I it was right to call cabinet cabinet cab cab- inet mccUn meetings meeting That's why It Is no ex exaggeration exas exasperation ex- ex as to sa say Mr 1 Wilson Filson hurt himself immeasurably with tho people of or tho the country countr and damaged damas-cd to an nn extent extent ex ex- tent yet et not calculable his leadership In the Ole Democratic party Instead of oC beIng the greatest meet let l- l et etCor for Cor tho the campaign Mr Wilson is at present writing a n largo liability to tho tiro Democrats The They know it and the they are wishing some heroic measures might bo tal taken en to recover lost pres- pres tige 7 |