New-York tribune., 1919-05-12
'ROOseUeH Letters Reveal
Intimate Touches of Life
nost interesting of Cole ction Shown at Memorial
Exhibit Are Those He Wrote to His Sons; {;
Several From ex-kaiser and Other ROYALTIES

-'NA are OH view at the Roosevelt
memorial Exhibit in Avery Hall, Co.
iumbla University, formally opened
to the public yesterday.
1t is the first time that any but close
friends Of the family have had an on.
portunlty of seeing something of the
inner life of Roosevelt THROUGH the
most telltale of media-personal cor
respondence. The most charming part
OF the collection is the series of let
ters written to his dear "Archiekins'
and "Quentinque." They are enter.
talnlngly illustrated with pen and ink
drawings, done with characteristic i'm
petuosity. These letters are destined
TO become children's classics. They
have been loaned by Scribner's.
There is historical correspondence
with the crowned heads of Europe and
Asia and with some whose crowns have
since been confiscated. There are let
ters from such statesmen as Lord Cur
zon and from such writer's as Rud-
yard Kipling. There are references
to events which are now history
Throughout all these letters, no mat
ter how official in tone, there runs a
pronounced vein of personal attach
ment, Of warm feeling and respect
for Americas great statesman.
Taken as whole, they reveal him
in the light Of a man greatly admired
abroad, greatly loved everywhere.
Hagedorn's Dedication
The dedication in the biographical
sketch specially done by Hermann Hag-
edorn as souvenir of the memorial
exhibit best illustrates the straight
Americanism which is crystallized in
the collection of personal possessions.
1t is this:
"He was found faithful over a few
things, and he was made ruler over
many; he cut his own trail clean and
straight, and millions followed him
toward the light. He was frail; he
made himself a tower of strength. He
was timid; he made himself lion Of
courage. He was a dreamer; he be-
came one of the great doers of all time.
Men put their trust in him, women
found a champion in him; kings stood
in awe of him, but children made him
their playmate. He broke nations
slumber with his cry, and it rose up.
He touched the eyes Of blind men with
flame and gave them vision. Souls
became swords through him; swords
became servants of God. He was loyal
to his country and he exacted loyalty;
he loved many lands, but he loved his
own land best. He was terrible in
battle, but tender to the weak; joyful
and tireless, being free from self-pity;
clean with a cleanness that cleansed
the air like gale. His courtesy knew
no wealth, no class; his friendship, no
creed or color or race. His courage
stood every onslaught Of savage beast
and ruthless man, of loneliness, of vic
tory, Of defeat. His mind was eager,
his heart was true; his body and spirit,
defiant of obstacles, ready to meet
what might come. He fought injustice
loved all nature, bleak spaces and hardy
companions, hazardous adventure and
the zest Of battle. Wherever he went
he carried his own pack, and in the
uttermost parts of the earth he kept
his conscience for his guide"
Love for His Boys
He shed a wealth of fatherly love on
his boys. When they were little chaps
he took pleasure in chronicling the ex-
citing moments of his adventurous ca
reer, no matter where he happened to
be. The letters bespeak the haste and
ardor with which they were penned,
They suggest picture of the square
set figure coming home tired from the
hunt, finging himself down, seizing II
writing pad and impulsively dashing
off to his boys an account Of what hap
pened. The pen and ink sketches of
strange animals and incidents that
caught his fancy may be Indifferent art,
but they have a vital appeal for old
and young.
They reminded George B. Cortelyou,
who was Roosevelt's secretary, of an
incident in the life Of the boys which
he related to Professor W. A. Braun.
head of Columbia House. When Archie
was quite a little Fellow he contracted
and was near deaths door.
Quentin was terribly cut up about it,
but, being a person Of action like his
father, he decided that some drastic
measures outside of medical care were
needed. He conceived the idea that if
Archie could play with his pet donkey
he would soon be we'll. So Quentin
went after the donkey and led it labo-
riously with much back-kicking to the
front door.
Gets Him Upstairs
The coast was clear, so the donkey
and the small boy travelled, as low
ingly as r. L. Stevenson and his dom
key, through the hail. upstairs and on
ward toward Archie's bedroom. But
trouble appeared in the shape Of Mr..
Cortelyou. He met the strange trav-
elling companions at the head of the
stairs, and In a few moments they
we're retreating more rapidly than
they had advanced.
While at the White House Roose-
velt invariably found time to write to
the youngsters at Sycamore Hill. The