New-York tribune., 1918-07-18

lily, and of all the children the cne
who displayed most of the character
istics of his father, Lieutenant Quentin
Roosevelt was held in tenderest regard
by all his relatives. For that rea-
son his death in battle so soon after
ms first aerial combat in France was
81 particularly heavy blow to Colonel
and Mrs. Roosevelt. But after the
first stunning effect of the news the
Colonel yesterday, just be fore leaving
Oyster Bay FOR the city to prepare for
his trip to Saratoga, issued a state
ment, saying:
Quentin mother and are very
glad that he got to the front end
had the chance to render some SER
vice to his country and 20 show the
stuff that was in him before his fate
befeil him"
Lieutenant Roosevelt was not yet
twenty-one years old. }Ie was horn
III Washington, November 10, 1897,
while his father was Assistant Secre-
ts.ry of the Navy. His first air combat
was reported July 8. His death oc-
CURED Sunday five days sfter he had
downed German.
Kept Washington Interested
From 1901, when the assassination
Of President Mckinley maze Colonel
Roosevelt head of the nation, until
1908 Quentin, starting as the "Whte
House baby" kept Washington inter
ested and amused for seven years.
Sturdy, impctuous, frank and demo-
cratic, he was friends with everybody
At the tender age of seven or eight
he had his first romance, an idy! of
the White House lawns, with the tiny
daughter of a postman. He rode loco
motives between Washington and Phil
adelphia with his chums, the engineers
ard freman of the Baltimore & Ohio
and the Pennsylvania.
Meantime he was captain also of a
crew of warrior Indians recruited from
members of his classes IN pubic
school.
A born naturalist, he Furthermore
kept the White House populated with
unusual pets. These included 3 couple
of snakes and rare animals sent to him
by friends of his father from all parts
Of the world.
One day, during an illness of his
brother Archie, who, it is reported,
may be invalided home on account of
his wounded arm, Quentin decided that
a sight of pet pony might prove bet
ter than the White House doctors pre-
scriptions.
Takes Pony Up Elevator
Without waiting for permission he
went out to the stables, introduced the
Shetland into one of the private ele
vators and had the little horse on the
way into his sick brothers room before
he was stopped.
On another day in school, while the
teacher was asking the boys what their
fathers did for living, Quentin piped:
mine is IT."
Shortly afterward, for some infrac-
with the adventuring band
of feathered Indians, Quentin was re-
ported to his father. And the Presi-
dent sent word to the teacher next day
that he had been attended to in the
good old-fashioned way-in the wood
she'd" ''
When General Woods idea for train
ing young civilians as reserve officers
was first put into practice at Platts-
burg both Captain Archie and Lieuten-
ant Quentin were enrolled. Archie was
which his younger brother was pri-
vate, and at drill, when. Quentin
dropped his gun while trying to exc
cute the order Fright shoulder arms"
"bawled out" the boy in tie presence
of all his companions.
At Harvard, where he took promi-
nent part in athletics, beginning in
1915, Lieutenant Roosevelt displayed
the pluck expected of his fathers son,
and prior to his election to the D X
E fraternity underwent a particularly
that ordeal included the shining of
shoes, the selling of newspapers and
the delivery of q long lecture on "Why
| Am Pacfist."
Like his father, Lieutenant Quentin
suffered from defect of vision. When
the first officers training camp was
organized Archie was admitted and
won a commission, but Quentin, on ac-
count of his eyes, was rejected
He thereupon applied for enlistment
in the Canadian Flying Corps. That
was in April. 1917 A few days later,
on April 20, it was announced that the
War Department had accepted him for
enlistment in the United States avia-
tlon section.
Trained at Mineola Field
He underwent brief period of train
ing at Mineola under Captain Philip
Carroll, who was his commanding off
Ger when he went with the first flying
unit to France in the following July.
He reached France just a few weeks
after Archie, who had been made a
captain by General Pershing, and Theo-
dore, jr who commanded one of the
first American battalions to go under
fire. Kermit also had sailed for the
war zone, having been commissioned a
captain in the British forces in Meso-
potamia.
Captain Archie was wounded March
II. Quentin, who was given his rank
last fall, was first reported in action
July g. On July II he brought down
his first Boche, and his last combat
occurred Sunday.
His service was rendered entirely
upon the Chateau Thierry front, where
since May the American troops in all
branches of service have been per-
forming brilliantly.
The combat of July 8 was just one
of the usual brushes in the air re-
ported practically every day by the
various aero squadrons. But in the
battle of July 10 Lieutenant Roosevelt,
by skilful work not only shot down an
adversary, but extricated himself from
a predicament similar to that which
brought about his death Sunday.
Attacked by Part of Circus
On that day he was behind the Ger
man lines eight miles or more Part
of German "circus" attacked him
when he became separated from his
cOmDaniOnS Possibly IN accoup+ of tho