New-York tribune., 1911-09-17

The two or three days I snent with
Governor Roosevelt at ALBANY left me
With the impression that his masterful
good intentions would lead him far.
We all now know that they did, though
whether We have even yet measured the
whole distance may be a question. For
the considered judgment of the COM
munity embodied in statutes he seemed
TO have less respect than for his own
Individual opinion. He had, | thought,
less reverence for law than most Amer
leans have; or once had. Those who
have studied his seven years Presidency
will judge whether the impression de-
rived from his Governorshp was right
or wrong
II was my business during five of
those years to follow him step by step
and TO compose daily history of his
administration for THE Times" | saw
him often. Sometimes nc sent for me.
Sometimes | asked for an audience. He
talked as 4 rule. freely: not always for
publication He meant to hold the bal
ance even as between all Journalists
and the papers they represented.
rather imagine that if ever by mad
vertence he did not he was sharply
reminded of II. If-it can only have
been seldom-"The Times" published a
piece Of news exclusively, he or Mr..
Loeb, his secretary. would be asked
why favor should be shown to an Eng
.ish paper. or to me- / do not think it
ever was shown Intentionally. The
President knew. of course that any
such news would be recalled to Amer
ics, and he had no wish to rouse need
less jealousies. Whatever kindly feel
ing he might have for me his instinc-
tive preference would be for an Ameri-
can rather than for an English journal
His Americanism was prevailing.
continuous. overmastering passion. He
was American all the time: and perhaps
quond meme. Whether England then
came next, lon1O interDdllO, after Amer
ica, j should doubt. During the Boer
War his sympathies appeared to be
with the Beers. Dutch blood flowed in
his veins; not a drop of English; as he
himself often said. He often took pains
10 be civil. and something more than
civil. TO the Irish enemies of England.
There came q change. but he does not
seem to have been one of those Amer
leans who in 1895 were convinced by
England's resistance to European in
tervention in behalf OF Spain that Eng
land was really our friend and not the
enemy held up to execration in Ameri-
cas- schoolbooks and in Senator Lodges
biographies. Possibly it was not till
Mr.. Hays farseeing diplomacy brought
the United States into the circle of
orld-powers that President Roosevelt
perceived clearly that cooperation be-
tween England and the United States
was for the interest of both; and for
ours not less than hers.
Next after Mr.. Hay. 1t was perhaps
Lord Pauncefote whose influence on the
President led him gently to an attitude
Of benevolence toward the Mother Coun-
try. He accepted Lord Pauncefote as
, tyre. The British Ambassador had a
oirectness Of method and a transparent
honest sincerity In all his dealings
which profoundly impressed the Presi-
dent. He knew that when Lord Paunce-
fote said thing it was so, and that in
sl Anzlo-American issues the Ambassa-
dor's voice was the voice OF England.
Therefore II was that the German cabal
in 1902 against Lord Pauncefote left the
President cold; or, rather, 10 speak moro
truly, inpelled him to reject the Berlin
story and to make 1t the occasion for
noble tribute to Lord Pauncefote and
complete public recognition Of his friend
ship for America. He expressed 1t TO me.
II was not asked for, and II was almost
the only occasion on which the President
allowed himself TO be quoted at first
hand You may say l said II, but not
;hat said 1t to you
With all due reserve in great matters
end with strict precaution, President
Roosevelt, like Governor Roosevelt be-
fore him, was ever ready to take the
Press into his confidence when he could.
The Press owed him much. and he owed
much to the Press. He made use OF the
Press; a most skilful and legitimate use;
and not of the Press only. He said to
me once:
You think I am impulsive, and per-
haps am. But will tell you one thing.
Never yet have entered upon any great
policy till i was satisfied l had behind
me a great body OF public opinion
Some of this evidence Of public opin-
. ion he must have derived from the Press.
and from representatives Of the Press.
tIo could and did, put questions as
we'll as answer them. He held that
journalist who knew his business must
know what was thought and said in his
own constituency. From some other and
NO, lose useful sources OF information he
deliberately cut himself off. He set the
. business world against him; and the big
men of finance In New York and else
whore had no reason for giving him help
or export counsel except where some
great public interest was concerned. In
the wear of the crisis and shortly before
the climax OF IL. / was for six weeks in
AM about New York. | met great
many people, some Of them among the
most important in the world OF hnance
and business. Neither from any one or
them nor from any other human being
: ala I ut that time hear one good word
said for the President. He had allenated
the business world He was hateu'
They thought him menace 10 peace