Wilsoniana

Last week Joseph Patrick Tumulty, secretary to Woodrow Wilson, confirmed a new and curious bit of U. S. history which had been dug up and quietly divulged by Political Pundit Walter Lippmann in the New York Herald Tribune. What brought it to light was this year's Republican dirge that Governor Roosevelt's election would cause business to mark time from November until March.

Sixteen years ago President Wilson thought he was as good as defeated by Charles Evans Hughes in an election which seemed to mean War or Peace. Democratic clamor against a change of White House leadership seemed to be falling on deaf ears. Pundit Lippmann's bit of history:

"President Wilson had determined upon his course of action in the event of his defeat. That was to appoint Mr. Hughes Secretary of State and then have the President and Vice President resign. Mr. Hughes would have become President at once and the interval of waiting would have been abolished."

The necessity for such a drastic step ended when President Wilson was returned by a margin of eleven electoral votes. To Secretary Tumulty President Wilson expressed his belief in a parliamentary form of government which, in a crisis, falls as soon as it has lost popular support. Up to this week no Republican had yet suggested that in the event of party defeat President Hoover replace Secretary of State Stimson with Governor Roosevelt and then, with Vice President Curtis, resign.

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