Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-15
ENGAGEMENTS NUMEROUS
Declines Suggestion That He Return
Via San Francisco.
SEEING SIGHTS OF KHARTUM
Visits Gordon Memorial College
With Family-Trip to Kerreri
Battlefield Planned.

KHARTUM, March 15.-F G.. BonfilS
OF Denver. who came here to meet Col.
Roosevelt, today had an interview with
the latter and presented him with a petit
ton from the chamber Of commerce of
Kansas City and other western cities,
asking the former President to return to
the United States by way of San Fran
cisco. Mr.. Roosevelt replied that it
would be impossible for him to accept
the suggestion, owing to his engage
nents, including his presence at the
marriage of his son, Theodore Roosevelt,
jr., and Miss Leanora B. Alexander,
which is to take place in June. II possi-
BILE. however. he said, he would visit
Denver and Cheyenne during. the frontier
day celebration in August.
Col. Roosevelt, upon his visit to the
Gordon Memorial College, addressed the
students Informally, expressing great in
terest in their work and remarking upon
the splendid progress made by British
energy within the few years that its in
f1uence had been exerted
Receives Callers.
Bent upon making the most Of their
brief stay in this, the capital of the
Egyptian general government of the
Sudan. the Roosevelts were early astir
today. Col. Roosevelt was especially busy,
occupying the intervals between planned
excursions to points of historic interest In
receiving calls and attending to as much
Of his voluminous correspondence as ne
had been able to examine.
After breakfast he summoned to 'him
the natives who had accompanied him
through the jungle and bade them good
bye. Each received a present of cash
from Col. Roosevelt and q gift from Mrs
Roosevelt.
A sightseeing progra<p began with a
visit to Gordon Memorial College. built
at the east end of the town N 1902 by
subscriptions solicited from the British
people by Lord Kitchener From the
of the town. Col Roosevelt, Mrs. Roose
welt. Miss Ethel Roosevelt and Maj. Gen
Sir Rudolf Baron van Slatin. the IN
spectOr general of the srdars stan, made
up the party. They occupied carriage
drawn by a handsome pair Of horses and
escorted by two Egyptian lancers. Dur
ing the drive they were joined by other
members Of Maj. Gen. Wingate's stan, oc-
cupying two carriages.
Later In the forenoon the Roosevelts
abandoned their carriage for motor
car. and, unaccompanied, drove into the
suburbs.
To Ride on Donkeys.
This afternoon the Roosevelts planned
visit to Kerreri, the scene OF the great
battle Of September 2, 1898. when the
Egyptian forces defeated the Khalifa and
reconquered Egyptian Sudan. The trip
to Omdurman will be in the sirdar s
yacht Elfin and the other seven miles
north TO Kerreri possibly on donkey
back.
The tentative plans OF the Roosevelts
provide for their departure from here on
special train Thursday night. On the
way to Cairo a stop Of one day will be
made at Assuan. Upper Egypt. on the
east bank of the Nile, and two days
will be given over to a visit to Luxor.
The party will sail for Naples early in
April.
PARIS. March 15.-Forner President
Roosevelt has telegraphed- that he will
not arrive in Paris before April 25 at
the earliest. While here Col. and Mrs.
Roosevelt will be personal guests of
American Ambassador and Mrs. Bacon.