New-York tribune., 1911-12-10
London. November 26.

10 emerge at intervals from MS wen
earned retirement, Il may not be too late
to say vet another word about this emil
ncnt ex-President From no account OF
him ought the impression he made on
European opinion, and especially on
English opinion, 10 be omitted. You
published. no DOUBT, many narratives pE
cable. ] shall try to confine myself 10
memories not likely TO have reached you
ir that way.
will come az once TO the critical
moment when Mr.. Roosevelt thought II
his duty to admonish the English gov
ernment and people concerning thelr
duty to Egypt, aud 10 England In Egypt
He had been in Egypt on his return from
his adventures as naturalist 10 the
Smithsonian Institution long enough 10
form just conception OF the position Oh
the English and OF the changes, In ad-
minstrative efficiency II not In policy
which had taken place since Lord Gro
merV had retired and since Sir Eldon
Gorst had been in nominal command.
say nominal because it seems clear that
the relaxation Of English authority under
Sir Eldon Gorst was the direct result OF
instructions from the home government
2 government saturated with Radical
notions Of the Rights of Man, notions TO
be put in force regardless OF race re-
gardless Of political conditions. regard
less of expediency, regardless OF I'M
perial interests and necessities. Mr.
Roosevelt himself holds. or has held'
views Of human brotherhood not lesS
visionary than those for some tme past
prevailing at Westminster. But ne ulu
at any rate consider that the business
of a government was to govern, and no
President ever acted on tht behei WIN
more energy than President RooseVeI'
did. And he saw clearly that In Egypt
The Government was ceasing 10 govern
and that Radical theories were endan-
eerlne the supremacy and the beneficent
influence of England in Egypt. Seeing
this. and having formed strong opinion
about II. he could rot l suppose heip
expressing 1t; and he did express II at
the Guildhall in a way which maze Eng
lishmen sit up. He said to them' almost
in so many words:
You must either govern Egyp' OF
get out"
He WAS at that moment the guest OF
England, or, If not strictly of England
of the City of London, where ne was
speaking. No doubt he knew there IS
such a thing as a social code when
forbids a guest to undertake to regulate
the affairs of his hosts househoid' But
what are social codes to a missionary
spirit? What obligations Of courtesy are
binding on the vicegerent Of the Al
mighty? Even an Old Testament or
New Testament evangelist would disre-
gard them. much more an American ex-
President with a message from on high.
II was not with him a matter Of cholce.
He had 10 speak, and speak he did.
In Way fl was a useful deliverance.
II woke up England, always disposed
TO pe sluggish in far-off Imperial analrs
till a cannon shot breaks their slum-
hers. 1t found an echo in that great
body Of convinced but for the most part
silent Imperialists 10 whom the Empire
is living thing. 1t startled and even
impressed the Radicals themselves who
could hardly understand how an Ameri
can Republican should be preaching an
Imperial gospel The English press re-
flected these impressions and through
the English press they found their way,
no doubt, into the American press. And
there were, have heard, multitudes Of
Americans who felt a patriotic pleasure
in this spectacle of a distinguished
American hitting out straight from the
shoulder at his English friends.
Not for worlds would l say word TO
disturb this patriotic ecstasy. But there
is, in fact, a very considerable differ
ence between the methods OF the Eng
lish press and the American press in
dealing with a matter so complicated as
this. We should have said pretty near
ly what we thought. If an Englishman
had stood up at a Chamber Of Commerce
dinner in New York and told us we were
letting things go to the devil in the
Philippines-at a time when they were
going to the devil-we should have re-
sented it-Mr Roosevelt first Of all-and
told him that IL was no business of his,
and that an exhortation by an English
man TO Americans about American af-
fairs, and a criticism on our conduct of
them, was an impertinence: as It would
have been.
Not so the English papers. They dealt
gently with Mr.. Roosevelt. Those who
agreed with him about Egypt said they
agreed and some Of them said it was
well they should be reminded of their
eigner They even took a humorous
view of this incident. They thought it
natural enough that Mr. Roosevelts
apostolic fervor should blind him to
considerations Of time and place though
they delicately hinted that it might be
possible to be apostolic and polite at the
same time.
Far otherwise was the tone in private
life If in print the English put decorum
first. in private they speak out. They in
fact, said in private very much what we
should have said in print. The men who
agreed with Mr.. Roosevelt about Egypt
said the hardest things Of him. / used
10 hear their most explosive criticisms
for the most part At second hand; since
even In their wrath they were mindful
Of the civilities they thought Mr.. Roose-
Welt had violated and would not con-
denn him to an American. But Ameri-
can or not, you could not live here with
ont becoming aware of the state Of feel
Ing To M IlOnseYelt himself they