The record-union., 1898-04-10
new YORk'S DEFEFSES.
NO FEAR OF DAMAGE FROM
ANY FOREIGN FLEET.
The People of the Great Metropolis
Full Of Patriotism-One Dis
graceful Outburst.
Especial Correspondence Record-Union.

! Especial Correspondence Record-Union.,
NEW YORK, April I'm the present
national crisis New Workers have pride
and confidence in the knowledge that
one of their number is the Assistant
Secretary of the Navy Mr.. Roosevelt s
fame as a Police Commissioner is still
fresh in the minds of all. and the high
record for natural capacity obtained as
q municipal officer has far from suf-
fered during the comparatively short
period he has served Uncle Sam.
| AS is the case with most men of
lstrong public character, there were few
of the city officnals more hated, none
more respected. One of the Assistant
Secretary's bestknown peculiarities is
| his total lack of hesitancy in saying
what he thinks, and his worst political
foe gives him credit for thinking quick
| ly and to the point. His aggressiveness
| as President Of the Police Board kept
] him in the public eye almost continual
served to put him at swords points
with ahis associate officials New York
ers point with pride to the fact that
|
as one of the Presidents advisers, and
say that if he is on good terms with the
White House it is not because of q lack
of certain original opinions, and, more
over, if the Assistant Secretary had his
way the threatened hostilites would
have been finished ere this.
| AS head of the Police Department of
| New York he made many enemies
| through his severe uphOlding and appl-
cation of every law upon the statute
| book, and when accused of puritanic
| temper he would ask: why should
there be a law if it is not to be en-
| forced? If certain laws are wrong, let
those with the authority repeal them. "
| Mr.. Roosevelt had a Well-remembered
| habit of making unexpected and un-
accompanied night expeditions through
the streets in search of patrOlmen with
| one eye closed to duty OF course he
! found them without undue difficulty,
and when he made known his identity
the feelings of the offender can only be
| imagined Generally he received an
informal invitation to visit headquar-
! ters the next morning, though doubt
| less many of these incidents never even
saw the light of publicity.
To-day, however, the finest pos
sessed only of vague recollectiOns of its
once high moral standard, can step
inside the family entrance" and reach
for the proffered glass with little fear
of a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.
The Sergeant and the Captain who,
though they still look with scorn upon
any offer of outside earnings, feel more
comfortable when they suddenly realize
that the relentless Teddy has been
transferred" to Washington, D. c.
While at Keiths Theater the other
evening l had an excellent opportunity
to gauge in an emphatic way the de-
| finite opinion of a chance gathering of
New York's citizens. It was the even
ing upon which the press announced
the armistice policy of the President,
and it was a noticeable fact that the
people who We're reading the newspa-
pers looked very glum. At this partic-
ular theater, however, the house was
very crowded, and the performance, as
usual, was tinged with Cuba to a con-
siderable extent A lantern threw upon
| a screen heroic-siZed pictures of the
principals in our international tragedy,
and the applause which followed each
projection was at least entitled to con-
sideration The inventor of the "Hol-
| land and Judge Day were greeted in a
way that might have been expected.
The more generous volume of applause
announced likeness of the commander
| of the stricken Maine and when the
| portrait of gallant "Fitz'' Lee was
shown enthusiasm knew no bounds.
| Finally the Chief Executives picture
appeared, and the result made the hand
of the lantern operator start with sur
Prise. For an instant there was a
pause, and then a storm Of Kisses and
'cat-calls drowned a feeble volume of
| applause
! AS just this state of affairs prevailed
| in every theater where an exhibition of
| the Presidents portrait occurred, it
| seems hardly necessary to hold a mass
meeting to show the city's disapproval
of what it believes to be an ultra-con-
servative policy.