The Washington times., 1915-11-28
Biogr apher''S X-Rays
Illumine Hay'S S Life
William Roscoe Thayer, Performing Work With Fidelity,
Gives Public Valuable New Facts With Regard to
Life-Work of Poet, Journalist and Statesman @.

Great biographies are even rarer than
great men. and when one Is presented
OF an American whose shy fastidious-
ness prevented him ever from seeking
prefermcnt and yet who by grace OF
recognition OF his sheer ability was
entrusted with the conduct OF America 8
foreign AFFAIRS for a long tenure and
whose mind directed In part the ten
denotes OF the times. II Is an event to
be acclaimed.
The Life and Letters OF John Hay"
in two volumes. by william Roscoe
Thayer. is a work OF distinction. an
invaluable donation to American liter
ature and history. Tho author ciings
50 closely to his subject that the result
has many of the pleasing characteris-
tics OF an autobiography. There is not
another work like II, and there Is moth
ing that can now take its place 1t will
be storehouse for the historian and
reservoir of delights for the scholar.
Arrangement Admirable.
The arrangement Is admira bic, the
first volume being devoted to Hays
early boyhood In the unshorn west his
education In New England, which gave
character to his ideas and substance
to his convictions: his residence In the
White House as the secretary to Presi-
dent Lincoln: his life and observations
as rowing diplomat" his experience
as poet. a journalist and author.
and his lively and Intelligent interest
in national politics.
Hay kept diary. and was. besides.
happy writer OF entertaining letters,
and they, In whole or IN part, are in
tr0dtlrNd hinUru MI n q
inG as II with searchlisht. not only
the characters and scenes that i'm
pressed his Photographic vision. but
also interpreting the times. His faith
ful representations OF Lincoln bring
that man OF the ages vividly before us
In intimate fashion.
Artist In Use of Woods.
Hay was an artist In the use of words.
and his pen portraits Of the most promi-
nent personages of his time. both In
Europe and America. are full Of charm.
An example is his word photograph OF
Napoleon III. an unexcelled bit of
literature Hay was equally delcctable
in his literary landscapes. these pos
sessing the undcfnablc tone and color
that a Hearn might employ. His cor
aboundng In delicious wit and reveal
ing the noblencss OF the author. The
leading men Of the nation, from Lin
coins day until Hay died. were his
friends. and his letters to them form a
commentary on many phases OF the
period.
The second volume treats Of Hay as
novelist. historian. ambassador. and Sec
rctary OF State. His service and travels
abroad. his fine appreciation OF inter
national affairs. and wide acquaintance
among leaders In the world out tside
America. together with his passion for
liberty and profound understanding Of
American history and aspirations. made
his selection for the second highest Of
flee In the Government ideal
Hays Letters Quoted.
His greatest weakness as n statesman
, was his lack of experience as n leGis-
lator. and It seemed impossible for him
either to appreciate the responsibility Of
the Senate or to give that body credit
for ability and honesty. As early as
1850 he wrote to Garfield 80 tho
contact with the greed and selnshncss
OF office seekers and buildozng Con-
gressmen is unspeakably rcpulsivc to
me-" declaring It has poisoned all Of
the pleasure | should otherwise have
derived from conscientious and not
unsuccessful discharge of my duties IN
the State Department Mr.. Hay never
lost this feeling. lie wrote to samuel
Smathcr in 1900: 80 there will al
ways be "a per cent OF the Senate on tho
blackguard side OF every question that
comes before them. = ." The first
cast Of the -Pauncefote treaty is
now almost universally condemned. but
when It met opposition In the Senate
Mr. Hay wrote to correspondent
go no one out Of a madhouse could
fail to see that the advantages were al
on our side. But I understand the
| power Of ignorance and spite. acting
, upon cowardicc."
Another DESCENDANT Note.
Nevertheless. about the same time
Mr. Hay declared in another letter: 81
give 1t to you straight that there never
has been less corruption In American
| affairs than there Is today.
There Is one other discordant note in
Mr. Hays inner thoughts, such as he
| conhded to friends. In letter Ia
IJ. G.. Nicolay. when the two were en-
gagged il writing life Of Lincoln. he
TAKES POCKETFUL OF