ALOOFNESS OF PRESIDENT WILSON.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 January 1917, Page 4

ALOOFNESS OF PRESIDENT WILSON.

' A STRIKING CHANGE. The striking change that has oome over Sir. Wilson since he became President of the United States is the burden of a paper entitled "The Mystery of Wtodrow Wilson," written for tl North American Review by Mr. Oswal-i Garrison Viliara. As Governor of New Jnvsey he was the easily accessible tribute of the people,, genial and frank ready tn take counsel, and on goo-1 terms with the representatives of the leading organs of the press. But, f wo are to believe Mr. Villard, from !be bc'imiing of the first term at the White ft- use he changed bis policy, and became a solitary, holding himself aloor" ' f rrm politicians and business men alike, 1 i)e no longer worked,'' we are told, ".'n i'H« open; be sought counsel of 'owe* ! nn.l fewer; his door no longer stood ajar: even his Cabinet kpow him onlj frr days and weeks at a time, becoming often a nifre chorus of ratification. Visitors and volunteer adviser swore no longer woleonie—more than that, they wen under suspicion of some ulterior motive. 'Plie burden of proof that, they were not secretlv" in the pay of the magnates of Wall Street vested upon them. Notably has this been the cas" with those having knowledge of Mexico. . . . Somtf of the strongest and most loyal supporters of Mr. Wilson have been denied a word with him, anil the sob- explanation isi the Presidential theory that thev bad nothing to give him. Here we have considerable light on much that is puzzling. The President seems never to ask what he can do for others, particularly for those who have worked for him with complete and devoted enthusiasm. ... He never

realises how much a friendly handclasp, a pat on the back a word of wholehearted praise would do for one laboring by day and night in his service ar.d in that of the party. So he has been a stranger even to his own lieutenant*" High officials, diplomatic and other, who have done important work pract'fallv find their first-hand information ne'ther sought for nor desired by the Write House. A year after their ap po'ntnient the members of the Federal Reserve Board, for example, bad never met the President, save at an official reception, and tlicy were not invited lo that until the attention of some White House, functionary was called to the nwenec of this very important board at Washington. 'Members of Congress only see the President when they happen* to be sent for to do something fo'- him, to pat through some legislation or to cease their opposition to some project of his. Governors of States som>.times cannot gain access to :itm, mil some of bis ablest Ministers havi known him only in so far as the routine nf-their offices demanded his attention. The President's aloofness was specially notable through the Lusitania crises "Mr. Wilson held no Cabinet men I ,ins at that grave time, save to lay before his constitutional advisers for their ap proval the fruits of his meditation. In between whiles he scarce!.' saw thoi.-i—----not even the Secretary of State." According to Mr. Villard, it is a patent fact that "Wilson government is oneman government, of a different typo to the Eoosevi.lt brand, but none fie lesp government, by an individual to a most Unusual extent. It is," he,declares, "not party leadership, but party dictatorship." He further asserts thas Mr. Wilson's re-election could be die nniy to gratitude for his services, tioio particularly in keeping the country o,r of the war, for lie to "unloved by his party or the grateful masses of his countrymen."