| Show Leader in League of Nations Movement Praised and Criticised for Removing U United n I t e d S States tat e s F From r o m World Isolation I r i ASHINGTON Feb 4 4 1 WASHINGTON W Twenty-eighth Twenty president of the United States and the I first Democrat since Jackson Jackson Jack Jack- Jack Jack-I j son to serve two successive terms Woodrow Wilson Vilson occupied the presidency presidency I I I dency during eight years ot of such world upheaval and turmoil that his I I proper place in history cannot bej be be- assigned to him until his contempo- contempo j I rarie'S rarie are likewise assigned I contempo-I to their I niches I j Certainly he ranks as one of the I great war presidents of the Amen i 1 can republic and he ho exercised such I an influence In world affairs as as' i i I never before attached to his office j jI I j I Empires crumbled thrones collapsed collapsed collapsed col- col i lapsed the map of the world was was was' I made over and under his administration adminis- adminis the country abandoned its I pol policy cy of isolation and became an 1 I I active participant In world affairs I 1 j In all of that he took a powerful hand hanel No biographer could at attempt attempt attempt at- at atI I I tempt to assess him assess him accurately andin and andin I in full until the processes which began in his day and with his hs participation participation par par- have come to a sion ONCE OBSCURE LAWYER I An obscure lawyer by nature a aman aman man of letters he became an educatOr edu- edu j I cator and won his first attention from the public as ns president of Princeton university Then by th the i I strange ways of apolitical system i he became governor of ot New Jersey j i and later because the voters of the I I Republican party were divided beL be- be L tween Theodore Roosevelt and William Wil WIl- I be-I liam H. H Taft ho he became president of the United States 1 During his eight years of power i he ho traveled the gamut of ot human i emotions victory motions victory defeat courtship courtship courtship court court- I ship and marriage responsibility for l leading a nation Into war with I Ithe the collateral responsibility of bringing it back again to the ways of peace and finally a daily dally struggle struggle struggle gle with death H He had heard himself hailed bythe by the millions of Europe as the god of p peace ace and heard his name hissed by the same millions Acclaimed at atone atone at atone one time almost as a new Messiah he ho heard himself excoriated and de deI denounced do- do deI I as an autocrat and worse I I at home and abroad No other t president since Lincoln was so o WOrshipped worshipped worshipped wor- wor t shipped and hated no other president president dent since Ro Roosevelt RoOsevelt- sevelt had such friends and such enemies Through it all he preserved an outward calm while the the grim destroyer hovered I i close about him du during ing the last last i m months of of his occupancy occupancy of the I presidency followed him relentlessly t to the modest home where he lived I the ways of a retired gentleman and knocked at his door every day until it was at last opened After Arter having borne the burdens of ofa ofa ofa a war president ho he undertook the task of making peace which he sincerely sincerely sin sin- sin I believed would be bo a lasting I one and although he succeeded In in i getting Europe to accept It in large I I I measure his his' own own country rejected j I it t. t And in the fight he broke his health wore himself out suffered a as j s stroke roke of paralysis which led to his death and declared through It all I that he ho would have been happy to to I give his life for the success of his efforts I Woodrow Wilson was a precedent from beginning to end He began by reviving the practise ot of of I Washington and Jefferson in delivering delivering ering his messages messages' to congress In i person he ho finished by actually leaving leav leaving ing American soil and going to Eu Eu- rope His was the responsibility of deciding when a country with a peo- peo pIe plo torn by bYe conflicting sympathies was ready to throw itself into the great World war and when the mo mo- ment ent came carne he took the responsibility ity of ot throwing in the men and millions millions mil mU- lions which turned the scale scalo to vic vie tory I Whatever an army of Boswells may write that will be t tie the e part In which he will be best remembered by coming generations BORN BORN IN VIRGINIA I Born in Staunton Va December 28 1856 of Scotch-Irish Scotch parentage I he was christened Thomas Woodrow Woodrow Woodrow Wood- Wood row Wilson Vilson and he was known in early life as Tommy After Arter he lie was graduated from Princeton in 1879 he was known only as Woodrow Woodrow Woodrow Wood- Wood row Wilson His father was the Rev Joseph Ruggles Buggies Wilson a Presbyterian clergyman and hIs hla mother was Jessie Woodrow When he was two years old the fortunes of his father tather took the family to Augusta Ga and later to Columbia S. S C. C where at the age of 17 Thomas Woodrow Wilson en entered entered entered en- en Davidson college but led there soon to go to Princeton After Atter graduation at Princeton he ho studied law at the University of Virginia and in 1882 hung out his shingle in Atlanta Ga Meantime he courted Ellen EBen Louise Axson the daughter of a Savannah Presbyterian clergy clergy- man They were married in 1885 and had three d daughters Margaret the eldest who did not marry JesI Jessie Jes Jes- I I ale sie who became the wife of Francis Bowes Dowes Sayre and Eleanor who wh be became became be- be f came carne the wife of William G. G McAdoo McAdoo McI Mc- Mc I Adoo secretary of the treasury 1 dur- dur j I ing her fathers father's administration and later a presidential aspirant CLIENTS WERE FEW Mr Wilson once once said that as aa a ayoung young lawyer he wore out the rug I In his office walking arl around und the desk waiting for clients so he aban- aban a legal career and went to toi Johns Hopkins University at Baltimore Baltimore Balti Balti- I more mare for a po postgraduate course In Jn letters While there he published his first book Congressional Government Government Government Gov Gov- a study in American poll- poll tics If H evoked offers of professorships professorships professorships professor professor- ships at Bryn Mawr and Wesleyan and won recognition at home and abroad The young man who wrote of the defects of the American political political po- po system In 1883 found himself to deal with U them em later Having written in a deprecatory tone of the toward autocracy In American presidents he ho Jive lived to hear himself called the greatest autocrat of ot them all olI and to see ee a a. resolution declaring his hia office va vacant vacant vacant va- va cant on those grounds Introduced and tabled in the senate Successively Mr Wilson Vilson became professor protessor of ot history and political economy at Bryn Mawr and at Wesleyan Wes Wes- leyan university and later professor protessor protes- protes sor of ot Jurisprudence and political economy at Princeton where subsequently sub sub- he ha was made head of or that thab institution Meanwhile Professor Professor Pro Pro- fessor Wilson had gained high reputation reputation tation as a writer Some or of his works with the date of their production production pro pro- were as follows The State-Elements State of ot Historical and Practical Politics 1889 Division and Reunion 1893 George Washington 1896 A History or of orthe ortho the tho American People 1902 Con eon on Government in the United Unit Unit- ed Free Life Lite 1913 When a Man Comes Come to Himself 1915 On Heine Human 1916 An Old Master and Other Essays and Mere Literature and Other OUter Essays Essays' were amon among his t carier writing Ills His state papers notes to bellig belligerent rent governments and addresses to congress would fill till many volumes WON HONOR I IX IN 1581 The hon honorary degree or Doctor of Laws was bestowed upon 1 h him by I Lake Forest college i 1887 Tulane lla university 1893 Johns Johne Hopkins 1902 Brown university 1903 Harvard lIar Har ard vard university 1907 Williams college college col col- lege loge 1908 and Dartmouth college 1909 Yale made him a a. Doctor of ot Literature In l 1901 Ol I Lifo Life was a pretty well settled affair af at- I at-I fair for him while he ho was president of Princeton Its great oaks shaded shaded shad shad- I ed lawns and historic halls furnished furnished fur fur- the settings in which fur j Mr Wilson did much of ot the tho literary work which later was to attract the world He lie probably had little thought of ot being snatched Into the maelstrom of politics and war He drew some seine public attention In the fight for preservation of the democratic democratic demo demo- cratic Ideals at the university but buthe buthe buthe he lived the life Ufe of or a family man manon manon manon on small pay and as late as aa 1910 was contemplating retiring on a teachers teacher's pension That year ear the Inexorable force of ot events came into evidence The tide which sweeps on to fortune began t to rise about him Nominated for governor of or New NOW Jersey Nominated in a apolitical apolitical apolitical political situation about wh which many interesting things have been said and denied with equal fervor tenor he ho was elected on the Democratic ticket and I took on the state tato bosses for a round of combat com corn I bat which attracted the attention of ot tho the country In the Jersey legIslature legislature legislature leg leg- he found the young lawyer i Joseph P. P who became hl his private se secretary and biographer OF Political opponents charged Governor Governor Governor Gov- Gov Gov Gov- Wilson with radicalism but buthe buthe buthe he drove his program through The he outstanding legislation was the seven sisters s laws a series of or bills drafted under hi his direction i 1 which dealt with trusts New low ow Jersey Jersey Jersey Jer Jer- sey up uP to that time because of ot its laws lawo had been corporate called a a. rendezvous for monopolies Governor Wilsons Wilson's nomination for tor forthe forthe the presidency at the Democratic convention of ot 1912 In Baltimore was one of ot the dramatic spectacles of American political it t was as a n battle royal roal which brought him victory after more than forty ballots bag Champ p Clark the venerable and beloved speaker of ot the house of representatives e. e V. V l led d Wil Wilson on in the tue early voting voting voting-In In fact polled a majority majority ma ma- of ot the delegates For the first time in history a Democratic national convention refused to give the necessary two-thirds two to a candidate candidate candidate can can- who had gotten a a. majority William WilHam Jennings Bryan himself the nominee of at three previous conventions con con- led the fight against Clark Clarkin in one of the bitterest contests ever conducted in American politics It broke Clarks Clark's heart heart heart-he he never forgave forgave for tor- gave gae Wilson or Bryan and Bryan and he op opposed opposed opposed op- op posed Wilsons Wilson's policies in congress repeatedly Clark knew he lost not only onh the nomination but the presidency presidency dency for the ft ftc c contest l between Taft n nIn and Roosevelt e assured such her a rift in the Republican n vote that the election 0 of a Democrat was all but inevitable ELECTION CERTAIN The convention realized this for forthe forthe forthe the man who nominated Clark de declared declared de- de dared We Ve meet not only to choose a candidate but to choose a dent den 1 At any rate Woo Woodrow Wilson got the nomination and won the election electoral otes votes Roosevelt got 88 and Taft Taft- got 8 He came came- cameto to the White House on March 3 1913 signalizing the re return return return re- re turn of the democracy to power after atter successive defeats of ot sixteen years Immediately he galvanized the country appearing before congress In person publicly denouncing a vicious lobby which he charged was attempting to Influence in Washington and launched a legislative legis program program- which Included re repeal repeal re- re peal pear of the tariff revision of ot the currency system new styles of ot control control control con con- of the trusts the creation of ot many new government agencies and such a multitude of other other leg leg- business that congress and ana the country had difficulty dlf In keepIng keepIng keeping keep keep- ing up with It RULED CONGRESS Congress thought Theodore Roosevelt a dictator and an autocrat but it soon found Itself dancing to Woodrow Wilsons Wilson's tune and at first it danced d very obediently obedient obedient- ly and with very little grumbling Mr Wilson only confessed that he had a one track mind and he proved to congress early in his adminIstration administration administration ad ad- ministration that he knew what he wanted and ho get it He had hada a a. cabinet It was true but he consulted consulted con con- suited it after he had determined what he wanted to do When hen he wanted a bill Introduced In congress he frequently drew it himself and it if it hesitated on passage he lie summoned sum um- mooed the leaders leaders and and it passed soon thereafter In dealing with the Cabinet he did his own thinking and conducted much Important business of or the various departments departments' direct I from the White House Hardly had Mr Wilson gotten himself turned around when he had his his' first foreign situation to deal with It was waif with Mexico and was wasa a a. legacy from the preceding Republican Republican Re Re- publican administration The RepUblican Republican Republican Re Re- publican chieftains said they left It for tor Mr Wilson because they didn't want to embarrass him In dealing with It The Democrats declared the Republicans hd passed the buck It came to a crisis when Huerta the dictator seized the reins of government and President nt Madero and Vice President lent Suarez were were murdered Mr Ir Wilson had hac very fixed Ideas of his own on succession succession suc suc- cession to fo the presidency bv by assas assas- He lIe thought It I pretty general gen general eral In Central America and he told confidantes r it was going to stop He lie f withheld el wesco recognition from Huerta and the situation boiled un until until un un- til tU Huerta troops attacked some American at and Mr r. r Wilson ordered the occupation occupation tion ton of Vera Cruz by the American forces The official reason given for the occupation was that the German ship was wag about to toland toland land arms and arid ammunition for Huerta and the occupation was to prevent it The United States de demanded demanded do- do a a salute to the flag which critics of ot the Wilson administration Wison tion Uon took delight In pointing out never was given IGNORES CARRANZA Events In Mexico solved their own problem In a few months when Carranza Carranza Car- Car ranza ranz another newly risen leader leade ejected Huerta who fled American troops were withdrawn from Vera VeraCruz VeraCruz Cruz and later President Wilson extended extended ex ex- tended formal recognition m to the Carranza Carranza Car- Car ranza rauza government But in 1920 Carranza Carranza Carranza Car- Car ranza ranza in turn fled ted In the face fade of or an armed amed revolution and the Mexican problem came back bk to a a Republican administration for S set settlement 0 t t tIc 1 0 m men e n t. t t Watchful waiting was wa not alone Mr Wilsons Mr Wilson was much criticised for weakness in jn handling the tho Mexican situation ton but his friends said he lie saw sawa a a world var ar ar coming and had told them he did not propose to have the United States caught with wih one hand tied ted behind Its back bacle He lie did not propose to be engaged in a war with Mexico at such a time At all al events |
