The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-10-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.

These are uneventful days in Washing
ton. There is nothing electric or startling
in the political or social atmosphere.
Everything is waiting on the election.
Everybody except Congress and its en-
courage has returned to Washington, but
the social season has not begun aud legis-
lative activity, which must end with the
Fourth of March. next, will not begin
until Congress assemblies.
1t is true that he who is generally look
ed upon as the most conspicuous and re-
markable person of the day, if not of the
age, is in the White House and that
everything be says and does and even
looks is matter of interesting observation
and comment. His life in Washington
and at the White House is much the same
as it has been during his nearly seven
years term as President. He is active in
his ofice,in the early morning, debating
to his secretaries and receiving such v.si-
tors as have made previous appointments
through Secretary Loeb. Then he ex-
ercises every muscle of his vigorous body
on the tennis courts which are partially
concealed from the White House grounds.
Since no man can play tennis alone, the
President has most frequently in the game
Mr.. Pinchot, the forester, Mr.. Garfield,
the Secretary of the Interior and other
active players.
In the afternoon, he rides horseback,
usually with Mrs. Roosevelt and ac-
companied by single orderly who follows
the President and his wife at distance of
about seventy yards They ride through
the bride paths of Rock Creek Park, a
park of iills and dales traversed by a
beautiful stream. The trees are natural
forest and underbrush and in ten minutes
from Washington, the rider may enjoy as
complete sequestration and communion
with nature as in the forests of the
Appalachian mountains.
-
During the last week, Lord North
cliffee, one ofthe owners of the Thunder
err" as The London Times is called, was
the Presidents guest at luncheon and
now the Times has published statement
that the President will visit England after
his African hunting trip or early in 1910.
1t is also said that he will deliver the
Romanes lecture at Oxford and that he
will then receive the honorary degrees of
D. G. L., which that University not long
since bestowed upon the Kaiser. Ac-
cording to the same report the President
will visit Paris and deliver an address at
the Sorbonne. The exact dates and sub.
jects of the lectures are not given. The
President speaks both German and
French, as we'll as English and possibly
Reformed Dutch" language. They
at least will understand his English at
Oxford, and if he reads his lecture as he
usually reads his speeches, they viii hear
mighty good sermon in French at the
Sorbonne.
1t understood that the President will
meet Mrs. Roosevelt at Khartoum on his
return from the hunting trip in the wilder
regions of the Dark Continent. Khar-
toum, as is we'll known since the remark
able Kitchener Expedition, may now be
reached by railroad, but the usual course
is to sail Up the Nile from Cairo to
Assouan and make the remainder of the
trip by rail The itinerary of the social
side OF Mr.. Roosevelt's trip has not
been completely worked out as yet, the
time being too distant to permit of more
than tentative program. The London
Times, in an editorial of the 18th says
that The whole British public will vel
come President Roosevelt with sincerest
pleasure"- and adds that ut would be
difficult, if not impossible, to name a
guest who would be assured of a. more
hearty and genuine welcome from all
classes of the people.
~
Washington, withstanding the dry