Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-05
LONDON COMMENTS
ON THE PRESIDENT



LONDON, November 1,-D!scussing the
recent movements of President Roosevelt
and his swing around the circle the Lon
don Times In an editorial says:
at would not be ash to assume that the
feelings which inspired the enthusiastic
crowds are shared by millions of Ameri-
cans all over the union. 1t has. In fact. been
estimated that If Mr.. Roosevelt were
Presidential candidate at this moment he
would secure the biggest majority that mas
ever been recorded and might even succeed
in carrying every state in his favor lie Is
stronger than he was after his triumphant
return at the last electlon-stronger be-
cause he has given proof to all the wof.d
of his broad craftsmanship and lndomita-
BILE will. The Americans may have expect
ed many things of him when they sent him
back to the White House, but they can
hardly have foreseen that he would be more
instrumental than any man In putting an
end to of the greatest wars OF modern
times. A nation does not soon forget the
satisfaction of having played such great
part on the worlds stage; and President
Roosevelt is today more firmly established
in public favor than ever. But II that IA
vor depends partly on gratitude II depends
also on the expectation or fuftser great
services to come. The President represents
to the mass of his people Il fund of fight
ing energy, which they look to see grdppl ne
with the evils that have fastened on their
industrial and financial life 1t was firm
belief in his devotion to. thorouShgoinS re-
form which more than anything else won
him allies in the most unexpected quarters.
The purer elements of Bryanism-the spirit
OF revolt against capitalist!c domination and
the power of mere money-were enlisted IN
his favor and gave him wide support in
the democratic party. The great majority
of Americans felt convinced that Mr.. RooSe-
welt was the man capable of lacking
these nrOhlemS which reduce most OF MS
ellow-countrymen to apathy. He has not
said or done anything since to disabuse
them of that conviction. On the contrary,
he seems to have made IL more and more
Gear that the chief business of his prcsi-
dency is to deal with the domestic evils
of the country. The coming session or
Congress will probably witness the begin
ming of this struggle: how long 1t will last
even those who know America best would
scarcely care to conjecture.
, IF we may judge from the Signs of the
times the initiative of the President Will
not come a moment too soon. There has
been an alarming increase in scandals of all
kinds connected with American financial
and official life. The frequency of the
charges brought against senator's whether
of the Union or In particular states. Is a
grave symptom. There has been a series
of disturbing revelations about public de-
partments-the sale by an official of adj
vance Information about the cotton crop
being not the least serious of them. There
has been an increasing volume of the IA
miliar charges of municipal corruption, and
in the business world there have been COM
pany swindles of great magnitude. On the
top of these disclosures has come the in
vestigation into the methods of the great
insurance companies. with all of the star
Ting evidence that has been taken. Tie IN
quiry by the legislative committee of New
York state is still going on, that any
conclusions now formed can only be pro-
visional; and Il is reassuring to be told
that there can be scarcely any question as
to the capacity of the principal companies
to meet the face value of all their contracts.
But the evidence already taken coupled
with the facts disclosed in the two previ-
GUS reports of the Equitable Society Is quite
sufficient to justify the gravest misgivings
to the spirit with which American in
surance management has been mbued. The
gigantic dealings of trusts and syndlcates
often exert a sufficiently unpleasant pres
on the ordinary American. but the be-
setting evils In the financial life of his coun-
try are likely to be brought more directly
home TO him by the proceedings that shake
his faith in the integrity of the great in
glad to think. the management of insurance
a trust of the most responsible and sacred
kind There can be no final security for
the American poiicy-holder until a similar
standard is maintained in the Union. SO
long as the chief insurance companies fail
TO come M to that standard the people of
the United States will conclude that all Is
not well with the ethics of American bust
ness.