Evening journal., 1912-01-19
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Presidents Remarkable
Literary Feat
Hr HnIIand
By Holland.

In the latter part of 1907, at time
when Theodore Roosevelt, as Presi-
dent, was greatly occupied with mat
ters Of public policy which he regard
ed as of the utmost Importance, and
when, also, the approaching politics
which had the presidential nomination
for the Republican party in view in
the spring Of the following year was
receiving no little attention from the
President, he was called upon one day
by warm personal friend, the late
Jeremiah Curtin. Mr. Curtin was the
translator of the novels OF the great
Polish novelist, Sienkiewicz, and he
was also frequently employed by the
State Department as a translator,
since he had, probably, the greatest
familiarity with modern languages of
any man of mis- time.
Mr.. Curtin had prepared a work
in which he treated at some length
the rise and spread of the Mongolian
dynasty He was very anxious that the
President should write for it a few
PREDATORY words, thereby in some
measure giving the work the high en-
dorsement among scholars which the
name of Theodore Roosevelt always
gives to any work. The President,
when he had heard Mr. Curtins re-
quest, at once responded that he
would be delighted TO oblige him.
Within short time, certainly not
more than day or two, Mr. Curtin re-
ceived from the President not a brief
favoring word but a communication
which he regarded as the most extra
ordinary literary and scholarly tour
de force of which he had any knowl-
edge. For into not more than five or
six pages the President had COM
pressed with wonderful lucidity OF
statement not merely the history of the
rise Of the Mongols, but also the rela-
ton of that history to the develop
ment of the nations of Western Eu-
rope. The whole course OF the brief
narrative covered a period of time ex-
tending from about the thirteenth CEN
tury down almost to the present time
Mr.. Curtin was simply wonder
struck when he read this narrative.
Experienced and thorough scholar as
he was, he realized that it could have
been written only by man who had
mastered a history little known to
Americans and known only to a few
great European scholars When had
Theodore Roosevelt done this, Mir. /
Curtin wondered
Some attempt was made through Mr.. |
Curtin's friend, the late Governor |
George Greenhalge Of Massachusetts, !
TO learn where, when and how the |
President of the United States, who |
seemed sometimes to his friends 10
be almost overwhelmed with multipli- !
city of detail as well as with general |
public questions, could have found |
time to master a great but obscure |
historic subject When the question |
was put to Roosevelt, he said
"Oh, l have always been Interested |
in the history of the Mongolians and !
Of all oriental peoples Besides. IL IS
a history which American statesmen
mnst know If they are to deal intelli-
gently and adequately with some of
the great problems OF the future"
Mr. Curtin. however, was of the
opinion that the mastery by the Presi-
dent Of this colossal history was made
possible by the fact that among
Rooseelts other intellectual distinc-
tions is his ability not only to collect
all available information upon any
subject in which he is interested, but
with amazing swiftness thoroughly
to assimilate and absorb the knowl-
edge thus obtained At all events, Mr.
Curtin, Just before his death few
years ago, was accustomed to say 20
his friends that in all historic litera-
ture there was nothing he knew OF
that compared with the manner in
which President Roosevelt in a few
hours time and az a very busy sea-
son compacted into a few pages what
is comprehensive history of the
great Mongolian race OF China.
Not until recently has il been known
that Roosevelt dictated this conumen-
tai but brief history in the course Of
a few hours.
Copyright. 1912. by p. J. Edawrds.
All rights reserved.
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell Of
"A Great Scholar and a Stranger"