Duncan M. Stewart to Woodrow Wilson
Title
Creator
Identifier
Date
Source
Text
Dear Mr. President
Since I had the great honor of being received by you, with Mr. Luther D. Wishard, after my return from France in November last, I have addressed a great many meetings in the interest of the Liberty Loan, Recruiting and other campaigns in our own general American propaganda. The emotions of thousands of people have been stirred by the relation of an incident which came under my personal observation in Albert, which showed as clearly as anything possibly could do the feeling of the French people for "Monsieur Wilson".
There was no stenographer at our interview, and it occurs to me that I might with all respect record for you the incident as it occurred, and as I have told it many times, in the hope that in the midst of many anxieties, it may afford you some pleasure and satisfaction. I, therefore, beg to enclose an account of it on a separate sheet.
The effect upon audiences when they hear this simple story of an old French villager, is wonderful, and I shall never forget one occasion when I told it to some three hundred women Daughters of the Revolution there was scarcely a dry eye in the room.
Permit me to state that out of thirty or forty speeches in which I have told this, I have only twice mentioned the fact that I had related it to you personally, and then on the strict understanding that the fact that I had told it to you should not be mentioned to the newspapers.
This will be read by your Secretary, and I ask him to save both you and himself the trouble of a reply. Your time is the time of the Nation, and is too valuable to spend in acknowledging letters of this kind. If it gives you even a modicum of comfort to know the story and how it is received, I shall feel amply rewarded.
I have the honor to be,
Duncan M. Stewart
Hon. Woodrow Wilson
President
Washington, DC
Original Format
To
Files
