The Papers of Woodrow Wilson, Volume 28: 1913

The opening of this volume finds President Wilson still embroiled in the struggle for tariff reform. But his insistence on free wool and free sugar prevails, and the senate passes the Underwood bill on October 2.


Wilson then turns his attention to the Federal Reserve bill. His address to Congress on currency and banking reform provokes strong opposition from bankers and agrarian spokesmen. Although Wilson steers the bill through the House of Representatives, he confronts attempts from insurgent Democrats and Republicans on the Banking Committee to block the bill in the Senate. Again, he prevails by patient but unrelenting pressure on the Senate. Meanwhile, Wilson is facing the challenge of working out a policy toward Mexico after the overthrow of its constitutional government.


Most of the documents in this volume are published here for the first time. Included are the many letters between the President and his wife, compiled here in the last such extended series, as well as press conferences, private and political letters, and diplomatic reports and correspondence.