Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-09-12
AS A FRIEND SAW THEM
Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson Reveal
Thense1vcs-Two Poems on "Op-
pOrtunity."
(From the Worlds Work.)

(From the Worlds Work)
This article is Intentionally a mere coll
lection Of personal Impressions; 1t is con-
fessedly subjective. I am going. In con-
cluson, to set down here recollections Of
three evenings, one with each Of the
rivals, and perhaps the most agreeable
hours I ever spent with them. They are
not to be described In detail but OF the
general spirit of each occasion may
speak,
The first was with Mr.. Roosevelt soon
after the close OF his presidential term
and near the end of the voyage on the
Hamburg. when he was enjoying his first
opportunity In many years for rest and
retrospect. The ship had passed Gibral-
tar and entered the Mediterranean: We
were steaminE toward sunset, along the
coast OF Spain Joined Mr.. Roosevelt
for n walk on deck.
We gazed together at the purple head
lands. overhung by glittering snow peaks
of the Sierra Nevada. Mr.. Roosevelt's
spirits rose in sober elevation as he
gazed at the land which had been the
theatre of the long struggle between
Moor and Christian, and turned from
earliest history began. He talked of the
Hellenic Adventures who had sailed out
the Pillars and Hercules of the ghostly
fleets of successive generations that had
glinpscd the splendid panorama of the
shores-galleys of Phoonicians, transports
of 1oerians going to the Punic wars
down to the magnificent modern ar1nadas
whose prows had cut the indigo waters.
1t was a delightful hour. for Mr.. Roose-
welt has n vivid martial and romantic
imagination. But his talk was all of eX-
petitions Of war; descents on the coast.
burning cities. pirates. heroic forays, ac-
tons at sea. This will say that he had to
be reminded that the biggest fleet that
ever sailed these waters-a fleet at the
sight of which Jason would have swoon-
ed. and Villcneuve stared, and Nelson
been confounded-had been there by his
own orders. ] reminded Mr.. Roosevelt
of that. and he stopped In his walk and
looked out over the rail and back again
and broke into Il grin and n chuckle and
exclaimed: by George. that was me.
wasn't IT," And then he woke to real
enthusiasm and told with uplifted fist
and flashing eye what that fleet would
have done If II had ever had a chance,
by George
The second was n late autumn after
noon at Beverly-by he-Sea. 1t was on
the eve OF the long tour OF the country
which President Taft made last year. BY
hard labor Mr. Taft had got ahead of
his work Ga thing most unusual for him.
1t may be said) and had an hour or two
for rest He used 1t sitting before the
dying log In his study and meditating
out loud on the subject that really lies
near his heart: the prospect of inter-
national peace,
] was the only listener. For an hour
the president soliloquized. 1t would have
startled conservative patriots could they
have heard him. There was no length to
which tho head of the nation was unwill-
ing to go to avoid bloody conflict. no
length. / mean, in the direction OF sub
stitutnG arbitration for war. There was
no scorn which the tongue Of man can
utter that he did not pour ont upon tho
savage, childish folly of standing men up
to shoot at each other because the gov
errors of their countries have been un-
able TO agree.
That is all. Mr. Tnft's thoughts. in his
evening hour. turned to peace. With a
heat of conviction Of which those who
do not know him would not have believed
him capable. hurting his defiance into the
face of the hollow, popular sentiment
that passes for patriotism. Mr.. Taft talk
ed OF peace. Mr.. Roosevelt, on another
evening watching the sun so down. had
babbled of battles.
Nhn tr1 =
woodrow Wilson at the cottage at Sea
Girt. There had been high sport at din
ner on the broad trellised piazza. and
Mrs. Wilson and her eldest daughter had
| been laughingly bundled into the motor
car for an evenings entertainment al
! Spring lake, n mile or two up the coast.
Somehow different mood fell as we
who were left sat down in the gathering
twilight In the big hall. There had beer
a disputed quotation at dinner. and Miss
Jessie Wilson had slipped away and
| brought back the volume in order ia
| verify 1t. 1t lay on the table now, an
! anthology of verse-not Palgrave's nor
any tina I kno%-and Mr.. Wilson took
II up and fingered 1t lovingly The other
daughter. Miss Eleanor, went over and
perched on the arm of his chair. and In
moment ne was reading bits Of poetry
and soon we were all swapping oul
favorites
| Everybody's favorites, I suppose they
were-"Tintorn Abbey" 1.-THE Ode to a
Grecian Urn" and the rest. favor pass.
ing gradually toward songs of heroism
like Matthew Arnold's Let the Ions
Contention Cease. Arthur Clough's
Say Not the Struggle Naught Avail
eth" and Edmund Sills Opportunity. -
That, by the way, Mr.. Wilson confess.
ed ono OF his prime favortes; so let Il
he set down here for that reason and tc
point the contrast that will appear in a
moment. Sill's verses rum
This I beheld or dreamed II In a dream
There spread cloud OF dust along the
plain.
And underneath the cloud. or In 1t.
ragged
A furious battle. and men yelled, and
| swords
Shocked upon swords and shields. A
princes banner
Wavered. then staggered backward
| hemmcd by foes.
And thought, Had l a sword OF keenel
| steel
The blue blade that the Kings son bear.
but this