Life — June 29, 1916 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

1210 Mr. Wilson's Instructive Experience R. WILSON admits that been an instructive experience to be President of the United States. If he ever thought he knew it all he has not thought so lately. He said to the cadets at Annapolis on June 2d: “I have had a liberal education in the last three years, with which nothing that I underwent before bears the slightest comparison.” He told the National Press Club members on May 15th: “I have come through the fire since I saw you last. Whether the metal is purer than it was God only knows, but the fire has penetrated every part of it.” These are the words of a man who is distinctly conscious of having been subjected to educational processes. And he believes he has profited by them. If I may believe my own thoughts,” he said to the newspaper- men, “I have less partisan feeling, more impatience of party manauvri more enthusiasm for the right thing, no matter whom it hurts, than I ever had before in my life.” These are great days for learners who can learn. It is not unlikely that Mr, Wilson has learned more in the last rs than anyone else in it has three “FRESH ADVANCES IN THE CHAMPAGNE bistRicT” FOREIGN KELATIONS the country. He has been our most stimulated student. No one else has been so crammed with assorted knowl- edge, both domestic and foreign. When we think about it —the wonder grows That one small head can carry all he knows, For he knew something when he came to office, and to that has been added just as much as he could take in every day for three years and a half. It is a great thing to have had so much difficult education pumped into an available man. It is a great thing to have an educated President who has learned his business. Even after he has ceased to be President his knowl- edge may be a great asset and stimu- lant to the country, as in the case of Mr. Roosevelt. It is one detail of “preparedness” for emergency to have due provision of men in it who know how to run the government. Thanks to this tremendous forcing process to which Mr. Wilson has been subjected, the Democrats have at least one man who knows how to be Presi- dent. It will be conceded that Mr. Wilson knows a lot more than he did three years ago. The question of the com- ing campaign will be: Can he use his knowledge? Have his powers of ac- tion developed proportionately to the increased intelligence of his percep tions? The job ahead of him now is very different indeed from the job he faced on March 4th, 1913. He was equal to that, and did it well. Is he equal to this job in prospect? Has he not only learned what's what, but de- veloped the convictions, the power of will, the knowledge of living men and the leadership that the times ahead call for? His enthusiasm, for example, “for the right thing, no matter whom it hurts "—could we hope to sec it illus- trated in the separation of Mr. Daniels from the navy? After you have sat up half the night learning, you are less good at break- fast time than if you knew less and had had more sleep. If Mr. Wilson is fagged by his great responsibilities and the studies that have been forced upon him, we ought to lay him off and give him a resting spell. But if he is a mobilized man, seasoned and tough- ened by two years of war well as greatly bettered in his qualifications, then he has a mighty value as a veter- an, and is fitter by far to keep in the White House than he was originally to place there. E.S.M. comicbooks.com