Played for "Suckers"?

There have been three major plans afoot for paying permanent tribute to the name and memory of Woodrow Wilson:

1) The Woodrow Wilson Foundation, which some time ago raised some $800,000.

2) The Woodrow Wilson Birthplace Memorial Association, which plans shortly to raise $500,000 for a memorial to the late President at his birthplace in Staunton, Va.

3) The National Woodrow Wilson Memorial Association, which has been planning to raise $5,500,000 to erect a Wilson Memorial University across the Potomac from Washington.

On the last of these the spotlight of unpleasant publicity last week centered. It was discovered that this association was headed by one A. Moulton Pettey, an income tax auditor in the Treasury, and that its drive for funds was headed by a professional promoter, one A. Winslow Lowell, working on commission. It appeared further that Mrs. Woodrow Wilson and close friends believed that the enterprise would be a failure and left the project strictly alone, although saying nothing. Mr. Pettey did not know Mr. Wilson, had never met him, but once (as a stenographer) had taken down a speech he made. Promoter Lowell had never even seen Woodrow Wilson. How the sum of $5,500,000 was fixed upon and exactly how it was to be spent were points the two promoters did not make clear, except that they felt sure there was to be a university. It does not, however, appear that they planned to do anything dishonest.

But they sent out letters inviting prominent men to become patrons of the movement, and the prominent men lent the use of their names. There were 16 governors and eight senators, several representatives and other notables. Senator Copeland of New York, Senator McNary of Oregon, Secretary of the Navy Wilbur, James W. Gerard, Brigadier General Herbert M. Lord (Director of the Budget), William Green (President of the American Federation of Labor), Major General John L. Hines (Chief of Staff), Mayor-elect James J. Walker of New York City, Senators Ferris, Fletcher, Robinson of Arkansas, Caraway, Overman, et al.

When the spotlight of publicity was turned on, the resignation of the worthies began to flow in. Secretary Wilbur resigned when he "came to doubt the enthusiasm of the people who should have been most interested." Senator Copeland resigned saying he had decided on a course which he had "contemplated for several weeks." Senator McNary, when informed of what was happening, exclaimed: "I make it a practice of investigating things eventually. It is not my habit to be associated with matters in which fraud or impracticability appears. Of course, I shall investigate this."

Several others did likewise. Only Representative Frederick N. Zihlman of Maryland hesitated publicly to resign. It was said officially on his behalf: "He is ready to resign, but thinks the association will break up anyway and his resignation now might appear unsportsmanlike. He feels there is no disgrace in his connection as he is in good company, plenty of others having been caught."