The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-11
THEODORE ROOSEVELT TELLS LFESIORY

have excited laughter had It not been 90
serious to, think that they belonged to the
military arm Of the government. A cav
airy colonel proved unable to keep his
horse ~ a smart trot for even half
mile when Il visited his post: major
general proved afraid even to let mis-
horse canter when he went on a ride with
US, and certain otherwise good men
proved as unable to walk as II they had
been sedentary brokers.
consulted with men like MaJs Gen.
Wood and Bell, who were themselves OF
fine physique. with bodies fit to meet any
demand. It was late in my administra-
ton, and we deemed 1t best only to make
a neutrality-suspicious. teaches the most
inveterate reformer hog hard 1t Is to get
totally nonmilitary nation to accept
seriously any military Improvement. Ac-
cordingly, merely issued directions that
each officer should prove his ability ito
walk fifty miles. or ride ride one hundred,
in three days.
..Capricious Tyranny in Exercise.
This is, Of course, test which many q
healthy middle-aged woman would be
able to meet. But q large portion OF the
press adopted the view that 1t was a bit
/ of capricious tyranny on my part; ana
considerable number Of elderly ofhcers,
with desk rather than field experience,
intrigued with their friends in Congress
to have the order annulled. So one day
4 I took a ride Of a little over one hundred
miles myself, IN company with Surgeon
General Rixey and two other omcers.
The Virginia roads were frozen and In
ruts, and In the afternoon and evening
| there was a storm of snow and sleet; and
when 1t had been thus expertmentally
shown, under unfavorable conditions. how
easy It was to do In one day the task
for which the army officers were al
lowed three days, all open objection
ceased But some bureau chiefs still did
As much underhanded work against the
order as they dared. and it was often
difYicult to reach them.
In the Marine Corps Capt Leonard,
who had lost an arm at Tientsin, with
two of his lieutenants, did the fifty miles
| in one day: for they were vigorous young
men. who laughed at the idea of treating
a ffty-mile walk as overwhelming.
Well, the Navy Department of1cials re-
buked them. and made them take the
walk over again in three days, on the
ground that taking It In one day did not
comply with the regulations! This seems
unbelievable: but Leonard assures me 1t
is true. He did not inform me at the
time being afraid to get in wrong with
his permanent superiors. II 1 had known
Of the order, short work would have been
made Of the bureaucrat who issued It,
In no country with an army worth cali
ing such is there a chance Tor a man
physically unfit to stay In the service
| Our countrymen should understand that
every army offcer-and every marine Of
tficer-should be summarily removed from
the service unless he Is able to undergo
far seyerer tests than those which. as a
beginning, imposed. To follow any other
course Is to put a premium on slothfui
incapacfty. and to do the gravest wrong
| to the nation.
have mentioned all these expert
ences, and / could mention scores OF
| others because out of them grew my
philosophy-perhaps they were In part
caused by my philosophical bodily vigor
as a method Of getting that vigor OF
soul without which vigor of the body
I counts for nothing. The dweller in cities
| has less chance than the dweiler In
the country to keep his body sound and
vigorous. But he can do so, II only he
will take the trouble
| Any young lawyer, shopkeeper or clerk
| or shop assistant, can keep himself ir
good condition IL he tries. Some Of the
best men who have ever served under
me in the National Guard and IN my
regiment were former clerks or floor
| walkers.
| WHY, Johnny Hayes. the Marathon vic.
| tor, and at one time world champion
| one of my valued friends and support
ers. was a fioor-walker in Rloomingdale'