The Washington times., 1908-08-20

To think OF the possibility that Presi-
dent Roosevelts hunting trip in africa
should be interfered with because OF
some picayunish vice-regal magistrates s
compunctions about issuing hunter
license,
That's the sorroWful suggestion ad-
vanced by DIR. Edward RedlOw, of
Washington, just back fro spending
the better part Of a year in Africa.
DR.. BeGloe says the Africans are awful
ly interested in the coming of the Presi-
dent; but. really, as elephants and rhi-
nOceroses and hippopotami and tigers,
and such like are among the most valu-
able natural resources of the country,
and as the supply IS being worked out
pretty fast, the folks aren't sure
whether 1t would be good business to
turn loose so mighty a slayer as the
President without some limit on the
destruction he should perpetrate.
II appears from the statement of Dr.
Bedloe that these Africans are nos a
whit behind some other countries in
conservation Of natural resources. They
have discovered that acres and acres Of
people are anxious to come into their
midst IN order 10 take pictures of their
wild animals, and make photographs of
them, and capture them for circuseg
and menageries; arI they find, more
over. that the nature takers are g fine
source OF revenue.
Now, II the wild beast are 10 be ex-
terminated at one fell swoop. while the
Jungles will be safe places 10 explore,
and much more habitable for ladies and
young persons, yet it is doubted whether
on the whole the revenue from these
Will be greater than from the Nimrods
and nature graftcrs.
One to Each.
At any rate, the elephants and lions
OF Africa are now adays being so Well
looked after that there is indisp0si-
don TO permit one hunter 10 Kill more
than one specimen of each tribe. An
ordinary person might be satisfied with
one Numidian lion, one elephant. one
hlppcpotamus, one rhinoceros, one tiger,
one zebra, one mountain lion. etc. along
through the list Of beasts in the menag-
eria. But I'm practical opera ton this
system of hunting presents difficulties.
Suppose the hunter has killed his one
lion. for which he is able TO get 4 il
cense. That lion might be a lady lion,
with d large, savage mate Assuming
that the mate should arrive on The
scene just after mis- spouse had been
killed, and propose 10 eat up the MIN
rod. What would Nimrod do? He
might decide fOr immediate purposes to
shoot the mate by way of saving him-
SELF from being CheWed up. ana then
apologize to the government afterWard.
In case Of difficulty ne could refer the
whole matter To the State Department
at Washington, and get it 10 send a
battleship fleet 10 vindicate the right
OF an American huntsmdE to shoot an
offending lion.
BUf-and here comes the serious diff
ficulty. Suppose Bryan should be elect
ed President and Il BTyanite Secretary
or State should learn one fine day that
z. Roosevelt. reputInc himself % be a
citizen og the United STATES in g0Od
standing (fOr. OF course, he would say
nothing, in such formal statement,
about the attitude Of The AnanIas Club
member toWard him). had been arrest ed
for willfullv, maliCiously, and feiOniOusly
shooting one % extra Numidisn lion
cut in the southwest corner of the Sa-
hara- What then2
Well, He Might.
Would the Bryan Secretary Of state
order out the reserves, cut the cable.
| issue an ultimatum. and dispatch the
| fleet TO lombard Khartoum? Would he
get worked uP and cali on King Ed 70
tell the imperial agent at Cairo to tell
the Khedive TO tell the sheriff down at
Khartoum TO turn loose this suspect
without delay? Well, he might; but Il
isn't regarded in these parts as likely
1t is esteemed vastly more probable
that the Secretary OF State would take
six months to judicIally investigate the
matter-(of course he wouldn't split his
infnitive in doing so)-and then would
address a tentative inquiry to the Brit
ish foreign office and another to the
Sultan of Turkey-for Egypt In theory
belongs to Turkey in fact is bOssed
by England, and traditionally is inde-
pendent-making inquiries whether they
happened - know anything about the
case of this T. Roosevelt person, and
whether there was any reason why the
L. 5. a should not interest itself in
his case.
| 1t would ake-considering that the
porte was by Shis time mixed up in
the matter-an average of about ten
years to get answers all round. And
This would represent only the initiation
of the investigation. BY the time the
matter got to a focus, Mr.. Roosevelt
would be as old as Methuselah, and Mr.,
BRYAN, supposing the Democratic party
hadn't got tired of him, would just
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