New-York tribune., 1919-02-10
Tears Ho,U as Lodge Pays
Tribute TO His Old Friend
Great Throng of U. S. Officials and Diplomats At
tend Impressive Memorial in Hall of House;
Applause as Senator Sketches Achievements


went the announcement of his death,
and back came worldwide response
from courts and cabinets, from press
and people, in other and far distant
lands. Through it all ran a golden
thread of personal feeling which
CLEANS so rarely in the sombre formal
ism of public grief. 1t would seem
that here was a man, private citizen,
conspicuous By no office, with no gilt
ter of power about him, no ability to
reward or punish, gone from the earth
ly life. who must have been unusual
even among the leaders of men. and
who thus demands our serious con-
sideration.
"This is thought to be borne in
mind to-day. We meet to render honor
to the dead, to the great American
whom we mourn. But there is some
thing more to be done. We must re-
member that when History, with steady
hand and calm eyes, free from the pas
sons of the past, comes to make up the
final account, she will call as her prin-
cipal witnesses the contemporaries of
the man or the event awaiting her
verdict. Here and elsewhere the men
and women who knew Theodore Roose-
Welt or who belong to his period will
give public utterance to their emotions
and to their judgments in regard to
him. This will be part Of the record to
which the historian will turn when our
living present has become the past, of
which it is his duty to write. Thus is
there responsibility placed upon each
one of us who will clearly realize that
here, too. is Il duty to posterity, whom
we would fain guide to the truth as we
see it and to whose hands we commit
our share in the history of our beloved
country-that history so much of
which was made under his leadership
Saw Civilization Triumph
Following the biographical portion of
his address, Senator Lodge continued
"He lived to see the right prevail; he
| lived to see civilization triumph over
organized barbarism, and there was
great Joy in his heart. In all his last
days the thoughts which filled his mind
were to secure a peace which shoula
render Germany forever harmless and
advance the cause of ordered freedom
in every land and among every race.
This occupied him to the exclusion of
everything else, except what he called
and what we like to call Americanism.
"There was no hour down to the end
when he would not turn aside from
everything else to preach the doctrine
of Americanism, of the principles and
the faith upon which American gov
ernment rested and which all true
Americans should wear in their heart
OF hearts. He was a great patriot, a
great man; above all, a great American.
His country was the ruling, mastering
passion of his life from the beginning
even unto the end.
Theodore Roosevelt always believed
that character was of greater worth
and moment than anything else. lie
\ possessed abilities of the first order,
which he was disposed to underratc
because he set so much greater store
upon the moral qualities which we
bring together under the single word
character.'
''Let me speak first of his abilities
He had powerful, well-trained, ever
active mind. He thought clearly, in
dependently and with originality ard
imagination. These great gifts We're
sustained by an extraordinary power
Of acquisition, joined to a greater
Quickness of apprehension, a greater
swiftness in scizing upon the csserce
of a question, than l have ever hap
pened to see in any other man.
Had Great Mental Capacity
"He had large capacity for admin
istration, clearness Of vision, prompt
ness in decision and thorough appre-
hension of what constituted efficient
organization. He could not have done
all these things unless he had had mos,
exceptional natural abilities, but be-
hind them was the driving force of ar
intense energy and the ever presen
belief that a man could do what he
willed to do. AS he made himself ar
athlete, horseman, good shot, bolc
: explorer. so he made himself an ex
, ceptionally successful writer anc
: speaker.
"Only most abnormal energy woulc
! have enabled him to enter and conuuel
> in so many fields of intellectual
achievement. But something more thar
energy is needed for the largest sue
cess, especially in the worlds high
places. The first requisite of leader
ship is ability to lead, and that. ability
! Theodore Roosevelt possessed in full
measure.
"Whether in the Legislature at AL
bany, the Civil Service Commission a
Washington, or the Police Commits
. sion in New York, whether in the Span
! sh War or on the plains among COW
:, a boys, he was always vivid, never to b.
{ overlooked. Nor did this power stol
= here.
e "Hc not only without effort o
= + thought drew the eager attention o
the people to himself, he could ais,
engage and fix their thoughts upo,
anything which happened to interes
him. 1t MIGHT be a man or a book
:, new or old; reformed spelling or som
large historical question, his travelling
4, library or the military preparation o
! the United States, he had but to say
1 see how interesting, how importan
is this man or this event. and thou
sands, even millions, of people woul
, reply, 'We never thought of this before
), but it certainly is one of the most in
tcrcsting, most absorbing things in tn
world.'
:, Struggled Always for Better
Roosevelt was always advancing, al
q ways struggling to make things bette
TO carry some much-needed reform an
help humanity to a larger chance, t
fairer condition, to happier lif'
. Moreover, he looked always for an eth
;, lcal question. He was at his best whe
J, he was fighting the battle of righ
- against wrong. He thought sound
. and wisely upon questions of expe
- - diency or of political economy, but the
= did not rouse him or bring him tn
= absorbed interest of the eternal cor
t1ict between good and evil Yet he wa
never impractical, never blinded
counsels Of perfection, never seekin
: to make the better TIE enemy of tn
|, good. He wished to get the best, bu
s he would strive for all that was poss
bic even if it fell short Of the hiphes
n at which he aimed.
t lie studied the lessons of histor
J, and did not think the past bad simpl
because it. was thp DnNt or tba ma,