The sun., 1916-03-05
SOME NEW BOOKS.
Ex-senator Foraker's AutOI,iOg ra-
ply.

JOSEPH BENSON FoRAkER's Notes Of u
RYsU Life (Stcwart and Kidd Com
pany, CincinnatD. OF which the first
volume WAS reviewed in THE SrN of
February 81. revives in recollection the
Senate's dealing with such important
matters as Intervention in Cuba, the
establishment Of government in the
Philippines. the Panama Canal treat
les: the conventions and campaigns Of
1900 and 1904. and the authors part in
the Sampson -Schley controversy. his
differences" with President Roosevelt
growing out Of the Brownsville "af-
fray" the STANDARD OIL letters of
1908 and "the Taft collapse" The cx-
Senator IL. as he always was, quite
unambiguous in presenting his views,
and alphabetically partisan. Inter
esting correspondence with Presidents
Mckinley. Roosevelt and Taft. with
Mark Hanna. John Hay and others is
reproduced. The record set down
without effort at literary cmbcllish-
r1ent. has the attractive quality Of
intimate conversation: and its value is
not impaired by the easily dscountablc
element of personal bitterness. a
chapter commemorative of the cx-Scn-
ator's son. whose career of promise
was cut short. in 1915. by death from
On illness which probably was the de-
fcrred result Of fever contracted in
the Spanish war. gives a sympathcti
cally human" touch to the story.
Contemporaries OF Mr.. Foraker in
the national Senate--he took his seat
March I. 1897. the day Mckinley and
Hobart in God ti,,
partial review. Shelby NJ. Cullom,
Charles ". Fairbanks. Dolliver OF
Iowa. Frye and Hale of Maine, Hoar
md Lodge OF Massachusetts. Chandler
and Gallinger Of New Hampshire Bur-
rows and Alger of Michigan,
knute Nelson. Depew. Quay. AL
drich. Wetmore. Proctor Elkins and
Spooner. 1t was a Senate OF high in
tellectual stand!ng-yet sufficiently
:ree In its spoken English at times TO
Keep Senator Lodge often "in dis
agreeable frame OF mind" Mr.. For
"ker describes his colleagues briefly:
t.lkins had hard head. sound
mind. a big heart: Hoar. "notwith-
standing he had a genial nature. yet
was a pugnacious fighter: Nelson Of
Minnesota. "a sturdy, rugged type
who personified in all he did sincerity
and uprightness of character and pur-
pose: Senators Kean and Cockrell
were "the two watchdoSs." Among
the Democratic contemporaries of Nj
Foraker were Morgan and Pettus of
Alabama. Gray OF Delaware Black
burn OF Kentucky. Money and Nc
'.aurln OF Mississippi, German and
Rayner of Maryland. Stone and Vest
Of Missouri. Overman. Tliman. Bailey
cnd Culberson. In the House in those
years were Boutelle and Littlefield.
Mccall. Weeks. Hepburn. Dalzell
Overstreet. Serene T.. Payne: and on
tho Democratic side. W. Bourke Cock
ran. Clayton. and several Of the gem
tiemen who sit in the high places Of
Democracy to-day. The roll call Is
rot tedious to those who remember
the news stories of ten to twenty
years ago.
Mr.. Foraker's maiden speech in the
Senate was made May 10. 1897, in
support OF motion To refer 10 the
Committee on Foreign Relations Sen
ator Morgans resolution recognizing
the rebels in Cuba as helligerents ard
declaring the neutrality of the United
States Such recognition OF the Gu
bans would give the Spaniards the
right to stop our merchantmen on
the high seas in search for contra
band goods hut II would. on the other
hand, give to the "hundreds ~ Amer
icans enlisted among the Cubans' the
rights Of soldiers engaged in civilized
warfare:
Some twenty or thirty Republican Scna-
tors. unmoved 6y such conditions. cons,.-
tuted themselves the special guardians -
the peace and the deputi2ei protectors ~
The business OF the country. They
answered all mention Of such facts with
Talk abou; Americans staying at home and
attending 20 their own business. and with
sneers about ''iingoeS'; ihey especially
frowned upon everything in the nature of
an expression Of sympathy with the re-
voting Cubans--particularly So. II (: was
IN the form Of a practical suggestion Of
recognition or Intervention.
The new Senator spoke with that
forcefulness which was 10 become
known as his characteristic quality:
and. as he remarks. these gentlemen
did not like his speech: "and some ~
them. particularly few who were nm
able to talk any other place. said some
unkind things about II in the cloak
those days was quite similar in many
respects. particularly of too frequently
intruding violence. msinformation and
misrepresentation 10 much Of the
earnest discussion of this day.
, Mr.. Foraker goes pretty fully into
the details Of Cuban legislation. with
quotations from old speeches and ar,i-
cles: among these In" eye falls upon
passages of livelier nature. uf the
SECOND intervention" which Id saws
was mot. In fact, an Intervention ia
any proper sense OF the word, nor so
Intended - Gays: Fortunately.
President Roosevelt was fully alive 20
the situation in all respects. and. while
Invited to intervene under the Platt
Amendment, which ne had no power
acting alone To do. yet. promptly act
ing under his general powers, he
landed marines and 50 handled the
sf.ra .ftN ~ ~ bring about the hest
possible results without any abuse
whatever Of our rights or opportunl-
ties. For what he accomplished in the
way Of Saving Cuba To the Cubans'
troubles that were imminent both
countries owe him a special debt of
gratitude that few have even men
toned and no one can well cAaggcratc"
To show that this judgment is not cx
post facto. Mr.. Foraker reproduces
kilograms which passed between him
and Mr.. Roosevelt in September. 1906
c.i1