Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-18
ROOSEVELT PRAISES SOUTH
Writes Letter in Response to Invita-
ton to Speak.
Misunderstood NO LONGER
Says Every Good American Must Hope
TO See This Country EnJOying
PrOsperity-NatIon f. Thrill
ing with Ideals.

NEW YORK. Aug. lin response to an
invitation to address the Southern Com
mercial congress at Atlanta in the spring
OK 1911, Theodore Roosevelt has just sent a
letter to Chairman Mr.. Hall Davis at
Petersburg. Va, in part as follows:
My Dear Sir: 1t lie not possible as yet
Tor me to answer definitely but 1 believe
that on my trip to California next March
shall pass through the southern states
and l hope that II can be arranged that
the Southern Commercial congress then
mold Its meeting in one Of the cities through
which am able to pass. II so it will be
real pleasure to me to be present and to
say all that 1 can in behalf Of this ad-
mirable movement.
More and more, the former misunder-
standing about the south is tending to dis
appear and you and your associates have
set In motion force that will have much
to do with the complete dissipation of this
Misunderstanding You are working for
strong south; and you show your wisdom
and foresightedness in the way that you
realize that this movement for a stronger
SOUTH to be effective must really mean a
stronger national cohesion, for the old
south of yesterday is being changed into
the Young America of today.
Prosperous south Helps Nation.
Every good American must hope to see
a. real solid SOUTH in the sense of busi-
ness prosperity in the South, for all Amer.
leans realize that the prosperity Of any
part Of the country helps the prosperity Of
the whole, and the prosperity OF the whole
will grow faster and stand ON the most
durable foundation when they realize that
the words, NORTH" south" east and
west each have only a geographical sig
nificance. 1 hope that the young men OF
the south will never forget the past
glories OF the south, because l hope that
| the young men all over America today will
ever keep alive in mind these glorious
memories of every section of our common
country and that the men of the north and
of the west will remember the south's past
with the same pride itself does; for the
undying glory won by the men who va
liantly and with such sincerity voted their
| convictions, whether they wore the blue or
the gray, is now common heritage Of all
of us, wherever W dwell.
This nation Is thrilling with ideals a
this moment and thosc Ideals relate to
constructive work in the future. The south
| must do It's full share in realizing IT
must participate in full solution Of all ma
tlonal problems. All of us alike must turn
courage that our fathers showed in those
mournful pride.
Lees Memory HOnored.
THE statue of General Lee in confede-
rate uniform stands in the halls Of con-
gress today, and his memory is honored
no more by the south than 1t is by the
north, and in the north as in the south
.t.hs NAaN Iaa-
to apply absolutely In good faith the great
words of Grant. Let us have peace The
part played by the south in the construc-
tive craftsmanship OF our nation, during
all our earlier years was of incalculable
weight and value. 1 firmly believe that the
time has now come when the souths influ-
ence will again be felt, not only In con-
structlve craftsmanship, but IN the enor-
| nous field of constructive business en-
deavor. No part of our country has seen
such progress as the south has made in
the last twenty years along material lines
and the next twenty years will see a
greater progress. For long the eyes of
this nation have been set steadily west
ward to watch it's great and typical growth
From now on 1 think the south VIII
share with the west in the rapidly Of
growth. This leadership will be FASTENED
by the completion of the Panama canal,
the east has the Atlantic, and the west the
Pacific. The south, even more than the
east and the west. will have the Panama
canal, and win. therefore stand at the
distributing point of al the great oceans
of the world. You need more people, but
like the rest of the country you need that
those people should be OF the right sort.
In sympathy with Purpose.