A Companion to First Ladies by Sibley Katherine A.S.;

Author:Sibley, Katherine A.S.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2016-05-31T00:00:00+00:00

Undaunted by her lack of experience and knowledge, she provided feedback and told him that, if she did not receive from him a “big” envelope in the afternoon mail, she felt cheated. Phyllis Weaver (1985: 52–54) notes that it is not clear whether Wilson ever followed Edith’s advice, but the importance of her role lies in his continually asking her advice and thanking her for her input.

Indeed, even before he married Edith, Woodrow was sharing with her reports and correspondence, including large bundles he sent to her on vacation in New Hampshire. During their subsequent engagement Wilson gave Edith copies of his speeches for review and approval. He shared diplomatic communiqués with her as well. She marked the material he gave her with notes, suggestions, and questions—fully participating in the process of governing (Levin, 2001: 74, 100).

Wilson’s biographers Berg (2013) and Cooper (2009) confirm Edith’s active involvement in understanding and advising Wilson from an early stage in the courtship. However, Arthur Link, Woodrow’s biographer and the editor of the Wilson Papers, stated that he could find no evidence that she made any attempt to determine or even influence national policies and decisions. According to Ross, too, it was “enough merely to love Woodrow Wilson and be his wife” (Ross, 1975: 19). Edith’s influence on the president continues to be a question of debate. Secret service agent Edmund Starling declared that the president “worshiped Mrs. Wilson, but she could not have made him change his mind about taking another bite of toast” (quoted in Miller, 2010: 145). Yet Edith and Colonel House were the only two advisors he consulted when he decided who should be on the Paris Peace Conference commission (Miller, 2010: 153).

Right from the beginning of his relationship with Edith, the president was faced with major crises, which gave the future first lady an opportunity to exercise what influence she had. In May 2015, just two months after the two met, the British ship Lusitania was torpedoed without warning by a German submarine off the Irish coast and 1,189 men, women, and children were drowned; 114 of them were American citizens. Under tremendous pressure to respond to the incident, Wilson wrote a note to the German government insisting on strict accountability for their actions. Considering that the United States was not actively protesting the British blockade of Germany, Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan was uncomfortable with Wilson’s response, which he thought would lead to war. He offered to resign, and Edith encouraged Wilson to accept the offer and replace him (Levin, 2001: 75, 83).

Edith’s influence on Wilson was thus evident early on. In her memoirs she describes her daily briefings with the president about various events, and how she “sat in” when people came to discuss politics. She relished her ability to be helpful in “small ways.” Cooper (2009) points out that Colonel House started noting Wilson’s not seeking his advice or listening to people whom he had trusted in the past. Neither was House pleased that he now had to listen to the naïve political opinions of Edith (Cooper, 2009: 298).

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