A BROKEN MAN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, 11 January 1921, Page 6

A BROKEN MAN

PRESIDENT WILSON’S APPEARANCE

On tlie eve. of the American, elections, a delegation of Republicans who favoured the League of Nations visited President Wilson at the White House. They came away shocked by their impression of the President’s condition. One of them said later:

The members of the deputation were deeply touched by the physical appearance of the President, who received them sitting and plainly showed the effects of his long illness and the tremendous strain which he has been carrying Ho read from a manuscript his reply to the address of the deputation and was greatly moved as he did so.” 1 The Rev. Dr Arthur J. Brown, of New York:

“I w T as shocked by the President's appearance. I expected, of course, to find that his illness had resulted in some abatement of his former physical strength, but I had been led by public reports to believe that he had regained a large proportion of his virility. Instead of this, we found a broken man, his face was drawn and haggard, his eyes were dull, his voice was low and weak. It was pathetic to see that once splendidly alert and vigorous man so completely shattered. We gained the impression, too, that he was not only broken in health, but that he was heart-broken over the humiliating position into which partisan and personal enmities had brought our country, delaying the realisation of that great of the League of Nations for which he toiled so hard and sacrificed so’ much.

“I am sure the American people do not realise, as I had not before, that the President of the United States is a stricken man. As I stood there within four feet of him, I had an inexpressibly solemn feeling that the words that he was speaking might be his farewell words to his country. He must know that near the end of hia second term and in his enfeebled health his public career is drawing to its close. I think his address should be interpreted in the light of this fact. More than once his voice choked, especially when he referred to the soldier had fallen in battle. It was evident that he was voicing the profoundest emotons of his heart. The whole occasion was inexpressibly solemn and tender. “We left the White House feeling that we had witnessed a scene of what may prove to be of historic significance, <» scene in which the splendour of a great mind and spirit had triumphed for a moment over physical weakness and pain, but that the lamy of physical life was burning dangerously low. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life.’' Mr George K. Hunton of New York said: “I have no words to describe the touching scene before this man ■who has spent his strength, his health, and sacrificed his whole physical well-being for the thing that Is nearest his heart. He sat there in his wheel chair like a wounded (soldier, only too' anxious to keep up the fight to the last by explaining and clarifying the issue for American citizens. When he alluded to the loss of lives during the war, his voice not only faltered, but very perceptibly broke. He was overcome by a tenderness and feeling that you would hardly expect in a public man. And as he_ sat there beneath a picture of Lincoln, I felt that the Great Emancipator was looking down and indorsing the man and his message. If Woodrow Wilson isn’t sincere, w© have never had a public man that was sincere. I think the privilege of witnessing such a # dramatic scene in the culmination of the fight around the issue that is an epoch, in American history is the biggest thing that nas ever happened to me.” Joseph M. Price, of New York, stated; “I feel: that the man has simply laid down his life for the things he believed in. If rii© people of the country could realise what he has gone through, I believe etich a wave of sympathy would sweep over the country that all the rancor would disappear overnight. It was_ a horrible shock to see President Wilson. Probably, to those who have been with him constantly the change has not seemed so tremendous, and probably he has been a great deal worse than he is now, but the physical change in the man is something of which the people of the country have absolutely no realisation. At times when he was reading his address, I did not think he could finish. He feek so’ much about this subject of the League of Nations. He really feels that it is the one hope of the world for peace. To those who rc remher him as he was when hir voice was alert, and clear, and keen, the sight of him as ho is now is shocking. He is really broken, and I feel that he has martyred himself for the great cause. People have no idea of the terrible strain he has been under, and particularly the strain of the last two years."