Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-19
GREETED BY PRESS CLUB
W|THyELPS OF WELCOME
Former President Roosevelt
Makes Address, Grasps
Hands and Tells Jokes.

the Press Club was crowded when Col.
Roosevelt rushed in yesterday afternoon,
and the minute the waiting newspaper
men saw him and his black Iedo- q they
uttered a wild yeip Of welcome. Yeip-
that's the right word. 1t was not Kid
gloved, formal cneer, but q wild, shrill
salutat,on that kept up for several min
utes.
During the first noisy outburst the
colonel stood with his back 20 one OF the
18th street windows. wa wing botn hands
to the scores of his OLD acquaintance.
Arthur lodge, president of the clue. HI
troduced the guest and then the crowd
waited to hear what the colonel mad to
say. Perhaps, some of them Thought, he
would .efer brieny to the turn OF the
political tide. Did he, or dld he not.
rnat S the question. Whether or not has
leier.nce to the nights belonging to The
CATS had Political significance was the
subject of some conve. sation IN the cluD
for a long time after the reception.
Text of His Speech.
At any rate the colonefs speech was
this:
my friends. am very deeply touched
by your kindly way OF greeting me, ana
1 90 nope tnaC you understand now sehu-
Ineiy 4 IeeI.
ut rs line to get back here to see you
all, and L suppose l am speaking In rea-
sonauie confluence. 1t Is not that am
gong to say anything that should be
quoted, excepting that l DO not want 10
make any comments.
II was thinking of one that would be,
however sufficiently inclusive. Lwlsh to
say, however. that every dog has his
day, but the nights belong to the cats.
- - vN<,v-
fectly contenteu and happy 1 am. have
always sad that l did not think that
any President of the United States ever
enjoyed himself as much as did. and
know no ex-President ever enjoyed HIM
self as much as ] enjoy myself, and
assure you that there are no men whose
character 1 esteem more than the men
used to know when / was in Washington
as representatives of the press.
Classed With the Near Great.
II never speak of class universally.
AS caveat, 1 might add that there are
individuals among you for whom / was
able successfully to dissemble my admit
ration, SO that in that respect they rank
with senator's and representatives, pluto
Gratis labor leaders. and others. And If
/ were to single out the men with whom
1t has given me especial pleasure to work
for the causes that I deem most worthy.
there would be an astonishingly large
proportion OF men who are here today,
or such as those who are here today.
II have always endeavOred in life to
work seriously, and at the same time
have as much enjoyment as I could out
of life, and l have always found that the
men / met here in Washing on in your
profession contained an unusually large
proportion of those who would do good
work and yet who would not look too in
formally good while doing it. And so,
feeling as l do toward you, it gives me
a pleasure more genuine than you can
perhaps yourselves imagine to be greeted
by you with friendliness I cannot help
feeling is entirely genuine, and I am so
glad to be back here. and so glad to see
you.
shake hands with every one who does not
think that his character would be be-
smirched."
For Every One a Word.
Then the newspaper men shook hands
with their guest. For every one he had q
word. and in many instances he took time
to dig up some jolly Renaissance. Re-
garding many of them he told a joke,
which was appreciated by every man in
the room.
washington is itself again." declared
the only living ex-President when Harry
west, former commissioner, stepped up.
Hello, judge" declared Col Roosevelt,
when some one introduced the JUDGE OF
the Juvenile Court as mister De Lacy
In the crowd was Maj. Loeffier, who was
Col. Roosevelt's dOorkeeper at the White
House. The colonel grabbed him and
whooped out that it was fine thing to
see his old friend again.
Joke on Loeffler.
Then he told story about Maj. Loef1ler
He said one day the major announced
that mister Pacon was outside
Mister who?'
Mister Pacon, Mister Pacon.''
'"Tell him to watt said the President.
And then in about an hour the colonel
went outside to find 1.-THE patent Bob
Bacon sitting there all by himself
Mr.. Bacon, be it known, was at that
time assistant secretary Of state.
At the end Of the line was the head of
the Districts police force.
Name, please?' asked President Arthur
Dodge.
Nobody but Maj. Sylvester" said that
gentleman. and the colonel nearly shook
his hand off. ~