The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-03-12
G O N TIN u f D
r o
P A G f 0 n f
ROOSEVELT

House. And so we scrambled
abroard the big Egyptian govern
ment boat and were presented with
scant formality. but much cordial
ity to the officers and officials, all
of whom had been routed out by
the internal rumpus our whistle
had kicked up.
And how we talked and chatted,
The Rooseveltian mind was going
like a Calling gun. A thousand
questions he volleyed at us.
He asked about everything that
an alert American can be interest
ed in. He popped questions at us
about business, politics, people,
books. He had WI Ting Fang
beaten to death as a questioner
Under cover of all this | could
get a good look at Roosevelt. 1t
was the same old Roosevelt, Wig
orous, enthusiastic, brown as an In
dian and hard as iron. Only fingers
still ache from that grip he gave
when | clambered over the side of
the Dali
From Col. Roosevelt | turned my
attention to Kermit, who had been
standing back in the little crowd
on the deck. Kermit, like his faith
er, had tumbled out of bed and hur-
ried on deck, clad only in cotton
trousers and a light flannel shirt,
and under this scanty attire could
be seen the playing of his 1.-the
limbs. The young man is trained
like prize athlete. This trip has
aged him. That is, he is more the
man than the boy.
Come down to breakfast said
Roosevelt.
But we want to interview you,"
said O'Loughlin.
Yes" | urged, 1--WE didn't come
all this way to eat breakfast. Let's
talk first and eat afterwards
The famous dental display was
positively dazzling as the reply
came back:
TN leave it to the crowd. Do
We eat or Interviews
OF course we were in a hopeless
minority and so we trooped into
breakfast.
All through the meal the former
president kept up his running fire
OF questions. After the meal we in
sisted again and with a grin our
victim settled back in a deck chair
and said;
'I'll dictate an interview and
here goes. I'm well, tremendously
well. / have had a splendid time,
a bully time, as You boys say, and
have enjoyed every minute of my
trip. We have met many good com
panions and have had good sport
and a useful trip, for | think the
fruits Of our labor will be extreme
ly valuable to science. Kermit is
as well as a healthy boy can be and
everybody is well. DR.. Mearns,
Cunningham, Alden and Heller
(the latter two are Smithsonian
naturalists) have all had touch
of the fever. Sleeping sickness
oh, fiddlesticks. No, and they're all
right again.
Nov comes the important state
ment and | want you to get it
straight
Il will make no comment, direct
ly or indirectly, on things at home,
That is, politics.
Not one single word will | speak
on that subject for publication I'M
til after ] have reached the United
States and can know just what |
am talking about
"You can say that any expression
that may be attributed to me deal
ing with politics, directly or indi-
rectly, will be take pure and sim
Pile, Now, make that as strong rs
you can, and let's visit some
more"
But we had to scramble into our
boat to get to the telegraph sta
ton, so we said goodbye" and hur'
ried away, with a hearty invitation
to hurry back ringing in our ears
That the eX-president is well in
formed about politics was clear
from some of the questions he
asked as well as some he didn't
ask. We all had late papers anc
magazines and had brought up from
Khartoum a great pile of mail, let
tiers and papers which had accumu
lated there.
Mrs. Roosevelt and Miss Ethe
are at Khartoum and Col. Roose