The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-05-11
REPORTERS N0TPLEASED
Talking About Matters i'm Europe
MIR. ROOSEVELT is Being Cartooned
Great Deal in the Old World.



as he came within accessible distance
the reporters swarmed after him and
now every word is caught and print
ed in a score of European papers.
The newspapers on this side are
printing 'colums about him. In
Rome, london, Paris and elsewhere
his own story of his hunting exploits
is being reproduced with the pict-
ures familiar to American magazine
readers. But the European journals
are learning what the American
'newswriters found out long ago, that
where the ex-President happens to
be there is always good copy to be
found, and that the strenuous Col
onel always manages so that some
thing shall happen to liven things
UP a bit.
Very naturally the reporters were
not satisfied with lion skins and an
telope horns. They had the real
lion brought to civilization, if not
brought to bay, and they have made
the most of the opportunity. Dis
cretion has never been one of Mr..
Roosevelt's strong points and his
speech and action Immediately caus-
ed comment. Matters which seem
perfectly simple to an American be-
come immensely complicated to the
Oriental or European mind. While
the American papers are cartooning
him or mildly poking fun at his COM
ing into the lime light at bound
from barbarism, Europe is taking
l., e1 10 &c ina
! have seen no cartoons, while his
picture occupies a place of honor in
the shops of royal celebretes. To be
sure they do not quite know what
to make of him, so when they can
catch their breath they may say
things. They can understand his
love for sport which took him to the
jungles, but they do not know why
he should have such serious convic-
tions on moral and social questions
concerning which he is always ready
to preach.
They do not understand his
straightforwardness. They are used
to a nobility or royalty which Sc
cludes itself or to diplomats who
speak by indirection. To many his
speeches in public or his interviews
with reporters have seemed blunt
or unnecessary. They looked for the
polite inanities and adroit posing
of the politician.
! have talked with all sorts of peo-
pie about Mr.. Rooseyelt's speech
which caused so much comment in
Egypt, with Copts and Moslems, with
physicians and brokers, with clerks
and camel-drivers, with editors and
officials in the consulate, with teach
ers and missionaries. And all of
them have very clearly indicated one
thing, viz: that the age-long contro-
versy between the new ana the old,
the East and the West, the Chris
tian and the Mahometan, is still the
line of division which separates the
minds of men, Everyone has prais-
ed the spirit and purpose of the ex-
President, nobody has found fault
with the absolute morality of his
speech, and yet it was easy to de-
tect the real feeling on the part of
those who spoke.
The English of course were delight
ed with what he said about the
Egyptians not being ready at this
time for a constitutional government.
The Nationalists, of course, would be
equally likely to be displeased. But
no one knew how many who were
not professed members of the Nation
alists party would take offense. The
murder of Broussa Pascha in March
brought out the deep-seateu dissatis-
faction of the Moslems, but it took
Mr.. Roosevelt's speech which came
soon after to show the fanatical
character of that rancor. When he
condemned assassination and all who
sympathized with it, the Moslems
were driven to find some other
ground for objection to his speech,
although secretly in sympathy with
any method that would bring terror
to the Christians of any sect, but
especially to the ancient CoptiC
christians, to which Broussa Bey be-
longed. The Moslem newspapers
however, did not dare to say openly
that this was the popular feeling
and so they tried to find cause for
offense in other remarks of Mr.
Roosevelt, which to an American are
just as self-evidently true, as that
murder, even for religious purposes
is wrong. They are still printing
furious statements and editorial par
agraphs against the Christians, the
Gritish government, and the man
who dared to tell the truth.
On the other hand the Copts, who
form only one-thirteenth of the pop
ulation, have been in a state of ter
ror ever since the murder and are
only now becoming quiet in mind
Until the date of the trial of the
Khedive's minister, April 22, has