The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-17
Henry, Beach Needham, special CORES
pondent, in Golfers Weekly

ponQent, IN Colller W weekly.
NBvIOuSLY, the one thing which
countless Americans desire to
know is what manner of mar
they will meet with when Colonel Roose-
die of June.
They will And him appallingly healthy
and effusivey strenuous-even more
strenuous than ever. They will realize
that they have an ex-President on their
hands unlike any other retired occu-
pant of the White House. But they need
not puzzle their heads over the mooted
question: What are we to do with our
former Presidents?" AS private citi-
zen. Colonel Roosevelt will find his own
work to do and do it as BELTS the man.
Oddly enough. the first thing that
struck me In Colonel Roosevelts appear
ance. as he walked down the gangway,
suit-and it was we'll pressed! The
wrinkle to the coat, the bag to the trous-
ers, so usual with him, were cpnspicu-
ously absent. whether this be charac-
teristic of second youth or not, | can't
say. The first near view OF his sun
burnt face told the story of his regen-
GRAFTON. How Mike Donovan would have
enjoyed this first sight of him! 1 re-
member talking with Donovan. an ex-
pugiist, but thoroughly good citizen.
who acted at one time as Roosevelt
physical trainer. After commenting on
the then Presidents remarkable ply
sique, Donovan added, with something Of
sigh:
But he's got on about twenty pounds
too much. Dieting would take him
down, but he just can't diet. You see,
he has to go to dinners and banquets
and he will keep nibbling."
Before Roosevelt lef. the White House
the twenty pounds was nearer forty.
Despite his violent Observation-Disclosures
the 1o0-mile ride-he was beginning to
show heaviness about his jaws and
embonpoint. All tnat Is gone now. He
seems not to have a puond OF superfiu-
Gus weight. His eyes are markedly bright
and nothing gets by them. His skin is
clear and his cheeks hard. Wrinkles are
scarcely to be found-indeed, many a
woman ON the fright side Of o. would
be delighted II her face were as free
from crow's-feet. What little gray there
is In his mustache and hair is not visible
a few feet away. 1t will be easy enough
for country editor 20 run a photograph
of Roosevelt taken when he was civil
service commissioner, and get away with
1t.
The day following the sensational
events in Rome one of the American
correspondents who met Roosevelt in
Egypt epitomized the cirematographic
tour by a piece Of acting. Throwing out
his chest and striding across the room,
he said: This is the way we entered
KhaNoum =. Them bending almost double
and walking feebly with the aid of his
stick, he whispered "And this is the
bunch when the colonel gets through
with us in London
There's painful humor to this. I never
saw newspaper men work harder Roose-
welt is making copy at a gait which
w unequaled in the days of the rate
bill light or the Hartman exchange of
amenities The correspondents en- suite
don't\ dare 30 sightseeing, for fear
something live may happen while they
are inspecting ruins. 1t were better to
keep pace with crowned king through
out the length and breadth of his domain
than, to trail this private citizen on his
whirlwind tour OF the capitals Of Europe.
White waiting to talk with Mr. Roose-
welt on the train EN- route from Naples
to Rome, was permitted to listen to a
b4wilderipg conversation which he had
With br. 0eores Al Dorsey. professor Of
anthropology q Chicago university and
European commissioner of the Chicago
Tribune. They talked Of oloEies and A.
similation and the Balkans and frog
lodytes and Neanderthalenses and Gull
lures and savages. And it was hard to
tell which was lAyman and which pro-
lessor. II seemed more like two keen
scientists meeting after long separation
each eager to relate TO the other the re-
suits and conclusions his latest inyes-
| tigation. A fine illustration 1t was OF
Rooseveit,s ability to talk with an ex'
pert and inspire him to give up the best
the scientist knows. But Roosevelt not
only absorbs. he gives out-for anything
| the expert may have yielded OF his
knowledge. he has r. ceived more than 9
compensAtins amount Of enthusiasm
with which to begin Mis- Investigations
| anew. I doubt II there is any brand Of
J oiosist in the world who, in Rooseveit''