The Cairo bulletin., 1910-04-07
REORGANIZATION INCIDENT

Editor Of The Bulletin. Like many
Americans, am an admirer of Roose-
lvelt. but my admiration does not
blind me to occasional faux pas OF his,
| nor does patriotism oblige me to con-
slider his every step and his every
announcement when in foreign
Hands, as the acme of wisdom. before
(which contrary views or enlightened
men have no standing in court what
ever. When battling with wild ami
| mails in the iungles Of Africa, Roose-
lvelt's courage, endurance and perse-
lyerance were themes Of universal
lpraise. AS soon as he steps into civil
lization in Cairo, Egypt, he slips on
1.-THE waxed floors Of international
lcourtesy Two weeks before his ar
rival high state official had been
assassinated. In such delicate cir
cumstances Roosevelt eXplodes adj
Twice how the English should govern
Egypt. He snubs his hosts and an
SSla the natives WIZ hoOI Aiu out VI
town.
At Cairo the negotiations took
| place for the Vatican audience
Roosevelt asked for an audience and
| the pope was eager to grant it. The
ipreliminaries were carried on by
Ambassador Leischman and by Rt
| Rev. Thomas Kennedy, rector OF the
American College, Rome, as the in
itermediatory of the Vatican. In the
dispatch fixing the date of April 5th.
1t was delicately limited that no I'M
toward circumstance might arise to
hinder the audience as it regretablY
had happened in case Of Mr. Fair
banks Mr. Roosevelt would give M
assurance to that effect and declared
the audience off. This was plainly
within his rights. Where he did
wrong was to publish broadcast.
against all diplomatic amenities, a
confidential correspondence and thus
seemingly attempt to put the Vatican
in wrong light before the whole
world. While Roosevelt had his
rights as an American citizen, the
pope plainly has rights also as SOW
erign Id his own house. The Vati-
can thought it must insist upon those
rights under the cloak of advancing
Christianity the American Methodist
mission in Rome had for years as
saulted it with its batteries of
ealumny and defamation. Things had
come to such a crisis that the Vatican
could no longer receive as an hon
ored guest within its own portals a
man, who would, perhaps, the same
day encourage by his presence the
defamers of the host.
In the given case the Romans, nat
Iurally would assume that the ex-
president. or even the American ma
tion sanctioned the Infamous warfare
and that the pope receiving man in
audience who, hguratively speaking,
adorned with the stars and stripes
teo ba,tcles Ainglng mud at him. had
lost a.l sense Of self.respect
The uarrowne $ Of view which ONE
Bapers attribute to the papal Italian
Officials II due to their own defective
vision Cardinal del val is the son
Of an English mother Mons. Kennedy
native Of Philadelphia. Nothing
narrow about him; A body of mag
nificent proportions, a massive talent
ed head, well stored with knowledge
and a heart even larger than it. Two
years ago ] gave an Introductory let
ter to a young Protestant girl of
Cairo to this prelate He received
her with the greatest affabiity ami
courtesy and, though she had no
money nor social distinction to recon-
mend her she had, what was suffi-
cient in the eyes Of the prelate,
scrap of paper and the gentleness Of
La true lady.
In papal Rome they do appreciate
true gentleness in man and woman.
JAMES CULLEN