PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON

Nelson Evening Mail, 16 May 1917, Page 8

PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON

No nation can -show a finer list of? names of rulers of a consistently high standard than the United States of America, says the War Cry. Life utter life has been inspired by the record of their integrity, perseverance, and high mortal qualities. Washington, Lincoln, Mc Kinley are a few among many, and we are persuaded that tho's'ubject of our brief sketch being in power during a; crisis such as his country or the world, 1 has ever seen, will be given a high placi* among his fellow-Presidents by posterity. Two years ago, when he was the butt of far too many who failed to appreciate his position atid difficulties, a writer in the 'Worlds Work' said: 'llerc> thon r is placed before you a great man in the hour of his supreme trial. He should bei heard with patience, and his acts received with that confidence which the brief- ;' ■ est study of his lifelong record inspires. , He is fighting a brave figlit single-hand-ed. Those who love him always associate him with the lines of his own favourite poem, "The Happy Warrior.' .Let there' be no mistake "about it, this man will • make history. Already his sign-manu»u is imprinted upon the century. ■ President Woodrow Wilson has been writen of as 'An austere lonely figure' ; but an American writer S. G. Blythe avers that this is a condition not peculav to President Wilson —all Presidents am lonely—and he goes on to say that 's& President is the loneliest man in tho world because human nature is what it< is, because r,elf-interest predominates, because he is the tree filled with luscious , fruit, and because no man can remain long near the without succumbing to the temptation,* to 1 try at least, tf> J pick of-the fruit for himself,, or to help - a. person in whom he is interested, or to whom he is obligated, pick some/ T ibis condition imposes a great strain upon a highly-conscientious man whatever his tomperament, and even Taft and Roosevelt were as aloof as Mr, Wilson, and., for. the same" reason. ■< ■ CONCERNED ABOUT TO-MORROW- . The President, says those qualified tor ripeak, is a social and companionable man. "His habit of mihd is different from' those of Mr Taft and ■ Colonel ■ Roosevelt. He is not the opportunist that the Colonel is, nor the plodder liko Mr Taft. His mind is keenly analytical: His conclusions are based on his own logical deductions. He has enormous self-reliance and a finality of opinion ' that often, disconcerts, but is usually admired. He is considerate, courteous, polite, almost deferential, but always imports tho impression that behind his affability is an inflexible determination - , to do as he deems best. Ho loathes patronage . -So did- Mr Taft. Colonel. Roosevelt played with patronage ;us with one of the implements of a game. 3itsident Wilson has no patience with or for social features that entail on his official position. His concern is with the l:.v r »»r affairs of the Nation. He has, t-> an ' amazing extent, tho ability to lr.oi- it , problems in an impersonal man ur- . More than with most Presidents!.-.- concern is with to-morrow. He is tv.nking ahead, and the distractions <.f ]ol> hunting, social climbing, and .all - the rest vex him. Not that'll© is not a, most gracious host, when occasion de.- \ ma'nds, but that he considers all outside affairs as detrimental to his best service to his country. ' His mind in his master, for all of his marked human characteristics, and ho is working out his policy with that . N mind in his own way. He is l-rasilwt, and he realizes that his is the vesponaibilitv. He has no desire to shilt that responsibility, nor to underrate it, nor to avoid it.* He cannot allow any outside influences to come between him and his grave determination to solve his problems in his own way. People interest him intensely, and he is nopuliu throughout the country, but the close, association with his kind is denied him--because of the very power and responsibility of the place he occupies.