The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-04
ROOSEVELT IN TIME
Impressions From a Private Letter By
 Recent Visitor.

From the American Magazine.
 We didn't get to a discussion of his plans until very late-nearly midnight. For the first time in my experience or meeting him (President Roosevelt he seemed tired. He said several times: Well, I'm through now. I've done my work" His chief idea seemed to be that he wanted to get away-out of the eoun- try. q want to get away so that when the new administration comes in my opin- ion will not be asked, nor my advice sought. If I talk, people will say that I am interfering where I have no right to interfere. If I refuse to talk, they will say that my silence is disapproval. The best thing I can do e to go entirely away for a year Or more-out of reach of everything here; and that Is what I am going to do.' He said it was the last thing he would care to do; to re- peat Grants adventure He had had enough of public affairs; he wanted to be alone and quiet.
 He said he would like to meet Will liam of Germany if he could do 1t man to man, but he could not think Of at- tempting the ceremonies incidental to formal meeting. The thing that attracted him most in Europe was the inYltatoh of the King of Italy and the Emperor of Austria to go hunting with them. lie said he would like to see how they did it in the old countries of Europe, but he felt that he could not do this With out attracting too much attention. lie had concluded therefore to go to the wilds of Africa, a thing he had really long wanted to do, and to hunt DIE game He would sail as soon a1ter March as possible, going from here 10 Italy, there transhipping for the Suez and Italian East Africa. Here he would take the railroad which runs inland and iump from the end of it into the wilder ness. His son, Kermit, will go with hinl, and. as I gathered, no one else, save. perhaps, a secretary. He said he was looking forward to the recreation or the voyage and to getting acquainted With his son. "All that country beyond Italy he said will be new to us both, and I look for great pleasure in seeing 1t with A boys eyes. Kermit will have his book of poetry and I'll have my hunting books We shall have great time,"
 have never seen him in a more human mood; nor have I ever been more 1m- pressed with his bigness and breadth. Once when he said, well. I'm through I suggested that the people might not be through with him, that four years hence they might be clamoring for him more insistently than they are today.
 "No." he said, with a curious finality, a sort of sadness, a note which l never before heard him strike revolutions don't go backward. New issues are com ing up. I see them. People are going to discuss economic questions more and more: the tariff, currency, banks. They are hard questions, and I am not deeply interested in them; my problems are moral problems, and my teaching has been plain morality"
 He Is certainly very extraordinary character-about the greatest of our time. He has the curious flashes of genius, in which he sees himself truly-more truly than anyone else does. And I believe more than ever before that he put aside a third-term nomination, which he could have had at the turn of his hand from fthe highest conception of his moral obli- gations. I know, from my talk with him last winter that he was tempted almost to the point of yielding, that the pres- sure had been tremendous Qar more than any ordinary man could have resisted), but that he has asked himself simply, What is right in this matter?"-and the thing he thought right he has done.