The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1919-10-02
CLIMPSES OF
CHARACTER0F
Mr.. ROOSEVELT

Press) -Delving into the mine OF
10000 letters which Theodore Roose-
welt wrote during his public career,
Joseph Bucklin Bishop, the coloneps
biographer, in the October issue of
Scribner's Magazine, brings to light
a number of gems" in the intimate
correspondence between the former
President of the United States and
Sir George Otto Trevelyan, Bart, o.
NJ, English statesman and author,
with whom the great American en-
joyed a rare friendship covering
twenty years.
Mr.. Bishops paper, the second of
the series, entitled Roosevelt and
Trevelyan," reveals the many-sided
Roosevelt as "an Unsuitable reader of
book" his warm sympathy for au-
thors and his broad and profound
knowledge of ancient and modern lit
erature Even amid the cares of the
Presidency, Mr.. Roosevelt, it is
shown, maintained a regular cores
pondence with leaders Of literary and
intellectual life both in this country
and Europe. In Sir George Trevel-
yam, a nephew of the historian Macau-
ley, he found a man singular1y to his
own intellectual tastes and knowl-
edge. The correspondence began
when he was governor of New York
and continued until few months be-
fore Mr.. Roosevelt's death.
81 certainly would not be willing to
hold the Presidency at the cost of
failing to do the things which make
the real reason why l care to hold it
at ALL" he wrote to Sir George on
May %, 1904 81 had much rather be
a real President for three years and a
half than a figurehead for seven years
and a half. I think I can truthfully
say that I now have to my credit
sum of substantial achievement-and
the rest must take care of itself"
Previously, in 1899, Trevelyan had
sent Governor Roosevelt copy Of the
first part of his history. "The Amer
lean Revolution" which made deep
impression on it's recipient and which
he praised for cts interest, delightful
humor. absolute "Reminiscences and
exactness of narrative" an opinion
which was shared by Senator Lodge
and Elihu Root, both of whom later
Joined with Roosevelt in buying a
silver loving cup and sending 1t TO
Sir George as token Of their appre-
citation. Roosevelt, his biographer
says, was always on the alert tor
writer's Of only "even moderate fame
and of encouraging them with friend
lv letters and invitations to visit him
at the White House or Oyster Bay.
The books that made the President
happy covered a remarkable range,
history, fiction, philosophy, travel,
zoology, ornithology, anthropology,
religion and art and he said they
gave him ease and relaxation he
could get in no other way mot even
on horseback"
Statements and apothegms char
acteritically Rooseveltian, abound in
this collection of letters. Some of
them are here reproduced for the first
time in any newspapers:
"a great free people owes it to
itself and to mankind not to sink into
helplessness before the powers of
evil"
Unfortunately for us, small men do
most of the historic teaching in the
colleges. The great historian must
have the scientific spirit, able to mar
shall and weigh the facts
"The Presidential office tends to
put premium upon a mans keeping |
out of trouble rather than upon his |
accomplishing results. The elector-
ate is very apt to vote with it's back
to the FUTURE
II do not think the average Ameri- |
can multi-millionaire a very high type |
and I do not much admire him. On |
the whole our people are, spiritually |
as we'll as materially on the average
better and not worse off than they
were 100 wears ago."
each man knows where his own
shoe pinches. I have had a most
vivid realization of what it must have
meant to Abraham Lincoln, in the
midst of the heart-breaking anxieties
of the Civil war, to have to take up