Evening journal., 1903-03-09
RO0sEVELT5sygN
BY THE DIPLOMATS
Secret OF Presidents Popu-
larity His Wide Knowl-
edge oi All Nations

No president who has occupied the
White House within memory has
mado so agreeable an impression upon
members Of the diplomatic colony as
President Roosevelt, wriIes the New
York Commercial Advertisers Wash |
ington correspondent. Indeed It is
doubtful whether among the reigning
sovereigns of Europe there is one who |
Is so thoroughly at home in discussing
with the representatives of other ma
tons just the questions in which those
representatives happen to be particu-
lariy interested. The German emperor
may be an exception, for his mental
activities are said to be almost bound
less. AS for the others-so members
of the foreign colony in Washington
say-not one of them can compare
with the president OF the United
States. There are very few questions
about which President Roosevelt does
not know something. He has been a
voracious reader ever since he was
boy, and he has always been passion
ately fond of history and biography.
His memory is tenacious and encyclo-
pedic Whatever information once
gets into his mind sticks there, ready
TO be called on at n seconds notice
No president since John Quincy Adj
ans has begun to compare with him
In the extent of his general knowledge
of questions not Immediately con-
cerned with American politics and his
tory. He knows something about the
politics and history of every nation in
Europe, even the most insignificant,
and he at times displays n familiarity
with them which is as surprising to
their representatives In Washington as
it is gratifying.
The wife Of the Austrian ambassa.
dor, Won Hengelmuller, is a native Of
Poland. If there is n region in Europe
about which most American public
men have vague and hazy notions, it is
Poland. Everybody knows something
about KOsciusko and how freedom
shrieked when he fell, and that IS
about the limit. But It happens that In
tho course Of his reading the president
has picked up q lot Of information
| Il
families He knows their relationship
to one another and the part they have
played In polish history, so that when
Nine Won Hengelmuller happens to be
placed beside him at dinner ho can talk
to her about her own people with a fa-
miliarlty and with a just appreciation
which fill her with astonishment and
delight
So with NJ. Jusserand, the new
French ambassador. NJ. Jusserand is a
lltterateur Of high rank I'm his own
country and has an international repu-
tation, although comparatively few
Americans probably have ever read
much that he has written. He has
made a special study of early English
| literature and has written upon 1t with
great ability and with fine discrimina-
ton. When he came to talk with the
president, he was flattered and over
| joyed to find that Mr.. Roosevelt had
read everything he had ever written
about early English literature, Piers
Ploughman and the rest, and the two
conversed with enthusiasm for q long
time upon topics congenial to both
| which have no bearing whatever upon
l international relations Sir Michael
Herbert and Baron Won Sternburg OF
course are old friends, dating back to
the days when the president was an
under official in Washington, and all
the other diplomatic representatives in
Washington find their personal rela-
tions with the occupant Of the White
i House exceptionally pleasant.
The representative of different type
Of individual TO whom the president
appeals even more strongly than to the
diplomats was IN Washington recently
Seth Bullock, the sheriff Of Dead
wood, s. d. Bullock is as fine a speci
men Of the frontiersman as could be
found anywhere, with long, dropping
mustaches. aQuiline nose ana hawklikC
eye. Bullock came on TO visit the pres
ident and brought With him Mrs. Bul
lock. They were invited to the German
musicale at tho White House the other
evening, the president having Warned
Seth IN advance not 70 "shoot the fid
der" Seth was immensely taken Will
the German choruses. After the enter
tainment was over Senator Lodge
, asked him what he thought of it. II
was fine" was the reply. Il liked it. i
took me a little higher up the gulcl
than I'd ever been before, but l liked
It," Seth would go through fire anC
water for the president, and the presi
2 dent would do the same for him.
! COngressmnn's Law Practice RcstfuI
Several members of the house were