The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1916-04-28

2 the same unbridled enthusiasm.
Teddys stock was pretty low with
me when he sailed for Africa. But
l when he came back across Europe
the old feeling of pride surged thru
me all over again. | just chuckled
when he told the French that they
ought to raise larger families; when
he lectured the English on their bull
beaded muddling in Egypt, and l
could picture to myself those pol
ished gentlemen leaving the hall and
saying, Extraordinary, y'know. A
quite impossible person-quite." But
none of them ever said it to his face
They may have grumbled about him
after he left, but while he was there
he was the whole show. He was Us
typified-all our brashness and rude
ness, and buster, but all our straight
forward hard-hitting sincerity. too.
never liked him more in my life
Then came the 1912 campaign, an6
his stock sunk out of sight with me.
| was at that Chicago convention, t
| didn't like the stuff the Old Guard
pulled, but | didn't think his man
lgers covered themselves with glory
either. They brought in a couple OF
hundred contesting delegations and
or so of the contests had any merit
whatever. They were fighting
devil with fire, and both sides dis
gusted me.
Then when Taft and Teddy started
beating each other around the coun-
try. dragging the presidency thru the
mud, | cried, "a curse on both your
houses" and voted for Wilson II
wasn't that | loved Wilson more, but
that felt that the whole Republican
outfit was spelling for good sound
beating-and | did all that the Con
stitution allows any one citizen to do
Since the day the warships sailed
for Vera Cruz, my respect for Teddy
has been coming back Apparently
no one in Washington knows just
why the warships did sail; nor why, |
being down there, they turned around |
know They say that the reason we
never ventured beyond Vera Cruz |
was because we were afraid. And all |
South America thinks the same. We |
may have gained friendship by oui
What do you think we ought to dc |
about this?" policy, but we have GER
tainly sacrificed respect And in deal
ing with the Latin races | would feel
safer with little less protestatiop
and a little more of the fear of
righteous wrath.
Teddy knew how to deal with them.
| have been reading the diplomatic
history of his presidency during the
past year; and I've just finished it
off by reading the Life of John Hay
The most needed voice in the world
in 1904-8 was the voice tha, spoke
for America from Washington, D. c.
JOlu nay il0 tCiio VI tAtC lilly |
when Germany was ready to seize
the ports of Venezuela and hold them
until certain claims were satisfied
Teddy called the German ambassador
IN and said to him:
Il should like the Kaiser to invite
ne to arbitrate between Germany and
Venezuela
ooh, impossible" said the ambas
;ador "The Kaiser has made up his
mind, and cannot change"
"All right" said Teddy. you might
tell him in that case that if he does
cot invite me to arbitrate within
ten days, | shall have Admiral Dewey
sail for Venezuela ten days from to-
The ambassador clustered, but Ted
iy was firm.
81 am not arguing the matter" he
,aid, "for we have had arguments and
ley got us nowhere. | am simply Civ
ing you some information that you
may want to pass on to Berlin"
A day or two later the ambassador
called again; he talked of various
+hings. butt said nothing about Vene
zuela. AS heNrose to leave Teddy said,
What about Venezuela"
81 have had no instructions" was
he reply.
''In that case." said Teddy, "you
night inform the Kaiser that if with
n thirty-six hours receive request
rom him to act as arbitrator, | will
he following day publicly praise him
o the world as the FREUD of peace.
Z do not receive such a request
shall have Dewey sail three days