Evening star., 1919-09-24
COL. ROOSEVELT'S VIEW
OF ASSASSINATION
Writes in Response to Letter Of
Sympathy Following Attempt
on His Life.

Among a lot OF Col. RooSeVelts 5 own
letters appearing in the October Serb
nef's Magazine is one outlining his
attitude toward assassination. 1t is
written to Sir George Otto Trevel-
yam nephew and biographer of Ma
cauiay. 1t is interesting to note that
the. Edward Grey mentioned in the
LAST paragraph is Viscount Grey, the
new British ambassador.
October IA. 1912. Col. Roosevelt. Willie
on, speaking tour in the west as the
pfAsressive candidate for the presi-
d.ncy. was shot and slightly wounded
nv. n half-craZed fanatic in MllWau-
kee. Four days later. when II was
known that the injury was not dah
gefous. Trevelyan wrote MN chaiih-
ing letter of sympathy.
&; Col. Roosevelt's Reply.
In replving to this letter Roosevelt
gave expression to views ABOUT tiie
assassination of public men "hlGh ~ i.s
intimate friends had often heard MN
utter. 1t was a frequent saying OF mis-:
There are worse deaths than Tor a
NAH to be killed in the service OF MS
country ,,,,
~ October %. 1912.
sHour letter touched and pleased me
veYy much. l shall always keep IL. l
have not yet reached the point Wheie
it lib wise for me to write WIN my
own hand, so / shall only seho you
these few typewriter lines OF greet
ings
st is Just as you say; prominence
in uublic life inevitably means that
creatures of morbid and semi-crlmlnal
tyne are melted thereby to murderouS
assault But, my dear Sir George l
must say l have never understood
nuh3ic men who get nervous about
Assassination For the last eleven
wears 1 have, of course, thoroughly
understood that I might at any tims
be shot. and probably would De shos
some time. l think l have come OIL
uncommonly well. But what l can
not-understand is any Serious-minded
public man not being so absorbed IN
the great and vital questions with
which he has to deal as to exclude
thoughts of assassination. 90 not
think this is a question OF courage
at all. think it is a question OF the
mator interest driving out the minor
interest.
EXACTLY as It Is in Army"
.sft is exactly as it rs in the Army:
can readily understand any enIlsted
man having qualms about MS own
safety, but the minute that man
gets command of others and has re-
snonsibilities for more than his own
personal safety, especially when ne
becomes a colonel or general.
don't see now, in the middle OF his
wearing anxieties, he has chance 10
wonder whether he personally VIII De
ahot AS say, it is n0S question OF
COURAGE: it is a question of perspec-
tive. of proper proportion. III tomof
royr were to go fox hunting l would
probably feel a little more neeo OF
hardening my heart when approach
ed an uncommonly stiff jump tnan l
would have felt thirty years ago; just
.beczuse there would be no RESPONSE
bilfty in the matter. no duties to De
firef considered, nothing whatever TO
appeal to me except the chance o!
smash-up as balanced against the run
Of the hunting and the galloplng. bue
ifI-had a division of cavalry and were
in battle with it, so far as thought
ael6ahIy at all, it would be as to
whether / were handling the cavalry
creditably 1t would not be as TO
whether was in danger OF being
shot
= Duty When in Danger.
sSe that I never have felt that pub
lie men who were shot, whether they
were killed or not, were entitled TO
anyespecial sympathy; and DO most
dramatically feel that when in danger
it d their business to act in the man
ner which we accept as commonplace
when the actor is an enlisted man Of
thaArmy or Navy, or policeman or
= fireman, or a railroad man, or
miner, or a deep-sea fisherman.
* am really pleased at "nat you
telEme about Edward Grey. l have
felt toward him almost as I feel
toward you-and that is as strongly
as Z feel toward any man not in my