Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-31


Charles William Eliot.
President Taft last night told Charles
w. Eliot, who is about to retire as presi-
dent of Harvard University after forty
years of service, that he wanted him to
be ambassador to the court Of st. James.
He told him as plainly as he could with
out coming right out with 1T in so many
words and overstepping tradition. 1t
happened at the annual banquet of the
Washington Harvard Club at the RAJ
leigh Hotel, which was attended by
President Taft. DR.. Eliot, members of
the cabinet, senators. representatives and
scores of other men prominent in OFF,
cial life.
There was no mistaking the sincerity
Of Mr.. Tafts wish. He expressed it after
delivering a brief but unstinted tribute
to President Eliot as the leading uni
versity president and educator in the
land His remarks brought the widest
cheers from the 200 old Harvard boys
present and almost reconciled them to
the fact that President Taft is Yale
grad"
Sepator Roots Tribute.
It was Senator Root of New York who
gave the first intimation Of the honor
which the President wants to bestow on
Dr. Eliot. After praising Harvard's
president in the highest possible terms,
Mr.. Root said:
mo emperor, no monarch, no hero has
ever had such monument built as the
affection and admiration Of the sons of
Harvard are today raising, to stand for
ever.
And il, at the end of ALL his serene
pathway may lead into the courts. where
America is glad to send her best and
noblest to represent her newest cfviliza-
ton. before whatever monarch we shall
send him. we shall know our great repub-
lie in all it's good qualities, In all its
truth and the sincerity of its nature, in
all it's highest ideals and aspirations is
represented by a man, an American gen.
tleman. a scholar. and sage, indeed.
And wherever he goes we can ask for
nothing better than that the world shall
believe that whatever it sees in us our
true character is to be found in him.
The President concluded his speech by
saying:
II join in the hope expressed by my
friend Senator Root that the life of
ness. and I share every word he has said
with reference to what may happen in
the future"
Invited to the White House.
Only those who were a few feet away
Dr. Eliot as he took his seat. They
were:
Il shall be glad to have you call upon
me tomorrow morning at $50 o'clock"
In this modest speech about his work
at Harvard, for which he took very little
credit. DR.. Eliot said not a thing that
would lead any one to believe that he
knt~y such an honor was about to be
paid him by the President of the United
States.
The reception that DIR. Eliot got last
night from the Washington alumni Of
Harvard and the guests OF the club was
indeed remarkable. The foremos; men Of
the land appeared to be having trouble
to find adequate words to express their
admiration for him and his work. Every
speaker. except himself, talked of nothing
else. Meanwhile DIR. Eliot sat solemnIy
by. overwhelmed.
But even from the narrow gallery up
near the roof where the members Of the
press were jammed, and from which they
peered down through the smoke from the
photographers flashight powders. it
could be seen that he was pleased. that
he was. by far. the happisst of all the
happy men there present. He didn't give
an intimation as to whether he would
accept a diplomatic appointment. but he
did say he was not retiring from Harvard
because his days of activity were over.
but simply because he thought he had
been its president long enough for one
man.
President Eliot has been prominently
past few weeks, and everybody last night
was on the qui vive, expecting that some
thing would be said about it. Everybody
went away saying, II told you so.''
1t was a regular college banquet. with
singing and lusty "rahs' plentifully dis
persed throughout. DR.. Harvey w. Wiley.
chief of the bureau of chemistry, a Har-
yard man of the class of 70. was the
POSTMASTER. and he kept things going
in fine shape.
President Joins lin the Singing.
President Taft arrived little after 9
o'clock. When the impromptu cheering
had died out everybody gave the Har-
ward yell. with three Tafts on the end"
which pleased the President immensely.
A few minutes later the megaphone man
announced song entitled DIR. Wiley"
Dooley." 1t was the musical hit of the
evening. Mr.. Taft was tickled to death
with it. and turning sQuarely around in
his chair and facing DIR. Wiley, who sat
next him, he sang it all the way through
twice right at the famous pure food
man.
Here is the song:
When Doctor Wiley strikes town the groccrs
He goes into the bakers shops and vivisects
the rolls
The druggists seek the deepest woods, and do 1t
with a rush
And cen tomato ketchup no longer dares to
blush.
+ Its Doctor Wiley. Oh Doctor Wiley
The man who makes analyses Of pie;
He's analytic: OF grub critic
Is Doctor Wiley-iley-iley-igh.
six months ago signed the pledge. my hand
upon my heart:
said goodbye to Demon Rum and climbed the
water cart.
When Prexy said the stun was bad / took to
milder drinks,
But Doctor Wiley came along and this is what
he thinks
Yes. Doctor Wiley, oh. Doctor Wiley,
He says that ginger ale will make you die,
That soda water is sudden slaughter
Oh. Doctor Wiey-iley-iley-igh.
when coming home from work at night we pass
by HancOck's door.