New-York tribune., 1912-03-03
A Study of Mr.. Taft
Copyright, 1912, by ceors. W. smalIey)
London, February ..

Nasr-',, at its interior life. If the houses
iooN .r.s+ine the people who live in
arS M. ,,,ore interesting still; both the
si,.iduals and the society they COM
~ The President first OF all Oi-
o,.u,- for my impressions OF the Fr'ssi-
l"'A o,pst go further back than last
oen' on the Saturday when
~, anea cement at the White House
~ Toft was i'll. His doctor had ad-
-1..d him TO cancel all his appointments
sor,A davs. and as I was sailing lot
.,ord on the Wednesday l YVES
,,sr.a - depart without seeing him.
Ibad oDi.s known Mr.. Taft when he was
-. minister. had formed an opinion
- nan of whom you cannot help
u.ir, clear opinion. Mine is SIX OF
-, ,,asrs old. but time has not dlmmed
tho brilliancy Of the impression. Inc
s..,o,s on him have not weakened IT,
AZ. belief In him has grown stronger as
fonoved the events Of his Presidency
:, hos survived even the disapproval Of
Mr. Roosevelt Ill,
am not going to draw parallel
,cbich would be a contrast-bctween me
president and the President; but
,,,;1 ouote. with your permission a
,,ossaea from a letter of mine published
;n "The Times" Oondon) nearly three
years ago:
"IIe is constantly spoken OF as IL ne
were to be the mere successor TO MT
Roosevelt. his nominee and the heir TO all
bie nolicjes | risk nothing in prophesy-
enc the contrary. The late Presidents s
services are inestimable, but to inspire
confidence in the business community
end TO spread. tranquility was not one
Of them: nor perhaps could it be. VIII
ouote 10 YOU, not because l agree with IT,
for do not, but as an illustration OF
feeling what a friend in the high finan-
cjal world wrote me last November:
.. The election is won, and Roosevelt
having said everything he ought not to
have said, takes the credit to himself ana
Is vastly pleased with himself. But the
worst is over. Less than four months
hence he will step out the African desert
will swallow him up, and there VIII De
peace in the land for time
MIR. Taft brings peace with him.
legitimate business enterprises. asking
only to be let alone, hail his accession.
of the iuegitimate he will be an OPP
ponent not less dangerous than Mr..
Roosevelt, but he will so use the weapon
of the law against bad trusts as not to
disturb the good. He is Mr.. Roosevelt s
loyaI friend: the loyal supporter of
many. if not all, Of my policies He
will carry them out, however, in his
own way, which is conservative and not
explosive and without needless offence
or alarm to great interests. He is in
short. too great a man to be anybody's
echo or understudy, and the name Of the
President of the United States for the
next four years IS not Roosevelt, but
Taft"
As prophecies 60, that, perhaps. has
come nearer to being fulfilled than most.
I sa so because it sprang from some
knowledge of Mr. Taft's character. and
also of Ir. Roosevelt's.
Well, in those long ago days. when Mr..
Taft was Secretary Of War and Mr..
Roosevelt was making up his mind that
during the four years interregnum he
proposed to himself Mr.. Taft would be
his best echo and Understudy," 1 saw
much of Mr. Taft. I met him often in
private life. I saw much of him as Min
lister of War. 1 have sat with him-as
with Governor Roosevelt at Albany and
President Roosevelt in Washington
while he transacted business with all
comers. I have talked with him, walked
with him, and so following. as Shylock
said he would do with the Christian;
and also eaten with him and drunk with
him, which shylock would not with Bas-
sanio.
In the great room at the War Office,
a room not unworthy Of great minister
---and any War Minister is great by
virtue OF his position-Mr. Taft sat alone.
His secretaries were in the next room.
All sorts Of other great people came and
went-Generals, Cabinet Ministers, de-
partmental officials, and the all-per-
vading, onllipresent Senator who con-
ceives that his supervision is necessary
TO the smooth working of all branches Of
the Government During the hour there
came in a dozen or more important per-
sons on errands which either were i'm
portant or seemed to them SO. There
was a smile for each one of them, no
matter who he might be. The smile Of
which the fame has spread over two
hemispheres was on duty for everybody.
But no time was wasted. Each visitor
was expected to enter on his business at
once; to state it briefly and clearly, and
to be content with a brief and clear re-
ply.
Alr. Taft's mind visibly applied itself
instantaneously to the matter In hand.
A power Of immediate concentration is
one Of his gifts; full speed ahead with
one movement Of the lever. If a visitor s
statement were prolix or confused, a
sudden question going straight to the
root OF the whole business flashed in.
To the affairs Of war he brought the
trained judicial habit; the power which
great judges have, and in England use,
OF perceiving the vital points of a case
and OF dismissing everything else into the
limbo where legal rubbish is swept. The
head, like the body, Is on great scale:
all are wel-proportioned parts of the
universal whole. The head is a think
ing machine; its forces not exactly
measurable by horsepower; and a reser-
voir Of will power to which there Is no
visible limit
"a 4ad