The sun., 1919-01-07

he could help breathing. 1t was in him,
this fervency OF spirit, and out it had to
come, whether the provoking episode
was leaf In the wind or the threatening
OF the dragons.
1t had no more to do with his sim
certify. which was always patent 10
those that knew him best. than il had
to do with his religious convictions or
his love for his wife. II did not signify
that he was an intellectual brawler or a
confirmed noisemaker any more than II
signified he would rob a friend. 1t was
always and simply the expression of his
natural and Unborn vigor Of mind and
virility of body. He was born that way
and that way he lived
The war went on. with the Colonel
laboring amazingly. always with cour-
age. always with undaunted persistence
when it came to iindirg weak spots
of administration or l'olCy that he knew
were bad for Americas future. His four
sons went to war. and a prouder man
never lived than he when he threw his
four starred service flag to the breeze
from his house on Sycamore Hill AT
oyster Bay. None but he knew how
bitter was his disappointment that he
himself had been denied chance to
serve. even az his great friend Wood
had been denied an opportunity.
shock OF Qucntin's Death.
Then came the news that one son,
Theodore. Jr.. had been wounded twice.
Again there came the news that Quen-
tin. who of al his boys he loved best,
perhaps, had been shot from the air and
was lying under ground trampled by
German boots The shock was terrific,
but Col Roosevelt met il with undaunted
courage A day or two he remained in
secluson. Then I've reappeared with his
former composure and resumed his work
for America. .
Again came bad news. that his son.
Capt Archibald. had been badly
wounded. might perhaps suffer paralysis
II is not unreasonable TO suppose that
these recurrent shocks went far to I'M
dermine Col. Roosevelt's vigor.
So much for his hopes for service. his
accomplished service, and the misfor-
tunes that came to him in the war--all
surrounding the thought that his Amerl-
canism reached it's climax In the last
year Of his life That other quality of the
spirit for which his country held him In
such high esteem was unquestionably
personal integrity which covers the
widest field.
Who does not recall the oftspoken
phrase: We'll, I don't like Roosevelts
notions about things, but there's no
doubt about his being honest"
4 crude and qualified eulogy. but it
meant much more usually than the mind
of the speaker knew how to express II
meant honesty as the world usually
terms it, financial honesty. Roosevelt
died poor as the worlds wealth goes.
There was never a year, or month. or
a week in his life that he did not find
| II necessary to labor for the upkeep
OF his family and his home.
Undertaking Course of Decency.
It meant domestic honesty in these
minds: purity of domestic life,
steady affection for wife and family, an
undertaking course of dccency which
| was n model for his fellow citizens in
a time when the preachers were thun-
| dering from their pulpits against the
looseness of modern life. 1t meant to
great many political honesty. intel
| lectual honesty. 1t meant fidelity to
friends and fidelity to convictions.
! Whoever takes the trouble to scruti-
nize Rooseveits career Will be I'M
messed by the fact that to the funda-
| mentals and the essentials he held
| steadfast He did not reverse nimse!f
| upon important questions of policy, DO
nestle or international. 1t was only as
regards the mutable matters. the neces-
! sarily changing views touching upon
| ra mildly resolving elements or poiltics'
| that he sometimes changed MS conNic-
/ tons.
| Honesty, 1t adds itself as second
great word TO the first discriminating
a attribute Americanism
There is third reason for the i'm
mense public regard IN which he was
heh-a more than public regard. since
! II reached across oceans and continents
and found responsiveness in the hearts
of alien peoples.
Who, II the truth be recognized. does
mt know what the French people
| thought OF Col. Roosevelt. they the
! hardest headed. shrcwdest judging. least
easily deceived people in the world.
despite their, npulsive sentimentallsm?
who does not believe the depth OF the
British respect for him. even though he
Ieotured them to their faces about Egypt