The copper era. (Clifton, Graham County, Ariz.) 1899-1911, 1910-06-24
As the Boston Commercial Sees T. R.

ripped up the back the methods which
were being employed in the construc-
tiou of the canal. One of the men
who got the hottest under the collar
was Theodore Roosevelt, then presi-
dent of the United States. 1t was
finally ascertaiued that Mr.. Bigelow'
observation was confined to day or
two.
Quite recently Theodore Roosevelt
passed through Egypt on his way
from the heart of Africa to Europe
and after about as extended a period
of observation has lectured the goy-.
ernors and the governed. 1t may be
that Mr.. Roosevelt is more of rapid
fire observer tha1 Mr.. Bigelow. Any
way one stirred up as much ridicule
as the other.
We have always been of the belief
that if Mr.. Roosevelt were given rope
enough ne would hang himself and
he has certainly woven few strancs
of that rope on his recent return
trip. Coming out of the jungle he
began by giving expression to the
young men of Egypt sentiments which
sounded strange for citizen of any
free republic, let alone an ex-presi-
dent of the greatest. In Italy he be-
came involved in an altercation with
the Vatican which made him quite
popular with certain religious circles
until he turned about and castigated
the Rev. Tipple and his associates,
after which he was found to have
earned little respect from either
Catholics or Protestants
Passing on to France he delivered
a dissertation on the Ten Command
ments with which he assumed the
French people we're of limited &C
quaintance. In Germany he was eX-
pected to deliyer an address on some
subject dealing with American life
which might prove instructive to
even the learned professors in that
country with its high standard of
education but instead he spoke for
one hour and half on hot sultry
day on an abstract subject concern
/ ing which the learned professors were
much more qualified to talk than he,
with the result that those who were
not amused by his presumption were
bored by his dulness. In Norway he
without hesitation souudly berated
local advocate of conservation for
quoting his own words on something
which is a political issue in that
country.
Finally in England where he was
extended the freedom of its capital
city, he not only abused the privilege
which was conferred Oh him but vio-
lated international propriety by
occurring those who had honOred him,
on the proper way to conduct the
affairs of Egypt. Nothing perhaps
has ever shown Theodore RoOsevelt's
real estimate of himself so clearly as
this incident. After spending few
days in Egypt as a tourist passing
through the country, he assumed to
instruct men who have grown gray in
studying the Egyptian question, one
of the most delicate in the whole
world.
We should be interested to know
what Theodore Roosevelt would have
said and done at the time when the
agitation over Imperialism in this
country was at its height if a former
British prime minister had so far for
gotten international courtesy as to
come to New York and lecture our
leading public men on the proper
handling of our colonial policy. Even
at that he would have been speaking
with the experience of centuries be-
hind him, while in this case the ex-
perience of the United States with its
colonial possessions is'not of sufficient
length as yet to warrant our most
ubiquitous and loquacious citizen
using it as basis for pointing the
way to others.
! Mr.. Roosevelt will return to this
country in a short time and plans are
under way to give him the most spec
tacular reception ever accorded any
citizen of the republic. Some year,
ago a gentleman named Bryan who
had won the support and votes of a
large number of our citizens also re-
turned from a trip around the world.
Everywhere he was hailed as one OF
our foremost citizens but within
few hours he had made a speech which
withdrew from him the support OF
the most substantial element of those
who had joined to welcome him.
1t is understood that Mr.. Roosevelt
will rot at once jump into politics On
his return. Just how long it will be
possible to keep him from doing so is
question. Mr.. Bryan has never
committed any indiscretious abroad
comparable with those of Theodore
Roosevelt. If Mr.. Roosevelt can bt
persuaded to keep still he may retail
his popularity but if he cuts loose as
he has done in Egypt and London of
late, people will be likely to realize
the truth of the old adage: IAN