Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-01-12
Views dnd Rev5eUS
My FIRST Interview With Col.
Roosevelt and Nh Last.

ming with his tirst stop IN Omaha while CAM
pagnng in 1900 and continuing through his last
visit to this city
we'll remember my first real interview with
him. | had been east attending the installation
exercises of President Nicholas Murray Butler
at Columbia university for which the president,
as a graduate of Columbia also, ran over from
Washington to add the presence of the nations
chief executive to the occasion. The program
concluded with an alumni banquet at Sherrys,
where Roosevelt responded to one of the
toasts. ! was tabled with Prof. Frank A. Fitz-
patrick, formerly superintendent OF schools
here, and Governor Francis of Missouri, now
ambassador to Russia but then on promotion
expedition for the ST. Louis Worlds Fair of
which he was president, and between courses
we went no to 1ecitate DR.. Butler and greet
President Roosevelt where they sat together.
told the president | expected to spend day
or two in Washington on my way home and he
said, "Come in and see me-"
My call at the White House was made in
company with Edgar Snyder, our Washington
correspondent. primarily to secure. certain in
formation which / thought / could get from
Secretary Corteiyou without bothering the
president about it. The executive offices were
then in the presidential mansion proper at the
head of the stairs on the second floor. Visitors
were admitted to a large reception room on
which the private Office opened through two
way swinging door. Mr.. Cortelyou was at his
desk in this room and when l propounded my
query, he replied
"The president is the only one who knows
the answer to that question. / would have to
ask him and you would probably do better to
ask him yourself He'll be out here in few
minutes"
The few minutes. it TRANSFERRED were not so
few. The room gradually filled with people of
varying types and obviously on different mis-
sions. Suddenly, as if shot from a cataput,
the president came through the door. One
al n fhaf in IRE ar
formation around the room. The president
started or rather charged Mr.. Cortelyou at his
elbow with note book and pencil, down the line
greeting each as he came up with handshake
and a resounding "Dee-lighted" He spoke in
a penetrating voice loud enough for everyone in
the room to hear all he said.
The first one, "How are the children? Mrs
Roosevelt wants to see you. You must come
back and have lunch with us"
To another, II would like to favor you, but
it is absolutely necessary that I work in har-
mony with the republican organization in your
state. I'll take these endorsements but you can
see plainly that cannot make such an appoint
ment unless you also send me letters showing
that it would be satisfactory to the party lead
ers back there"
To me, "Dee-lighted that you came in. Il
want to have a talk with you WaitP'
After few words with each visitors he
thus dismissed most Of them and as suddenly as
he appeared, withdrew to his private Office.
Again long wait during which the recep-
ton room once more gradually filled till every
chair was occupied and some standing. Mr.
Snyder left to look after business that needed
attention, telling me as he went You'll have
to stay now that the president has said he wants
to see you"
Finally, after further slow procession of
time, out came Mr.. Roosevelt, at a bound as be-
fore, and called my name at the top of his voice
lat least so it seemed to me.
Gust step into my office and I'll be with you
in a minute" he said
went in and discovered anew that presi-
dental minutes are made up of much more than
sixty seconds He returned in perhaps ten
minutes and had pleasant quarter-of-an-hour
talk with him covering a wide range of subjects
from college work to political prospects. got
the answer to my question and took my depar
ture with urgent invitation to come again.
My last interview with Colonel Roosevelt
was on the train coming in from Chicago in
June. On his way to Omaha he had an attack
of illness and the physician who was called in
Chicago deemed it so serious that he himself
boarded the train and made the trip with him.
| sat opposite the colonel and chatted with
him for fully an hour as he ate breakfast in his
compartment 1t was plain from his appearance
and movements that he was not we'll man.
He took nothing but tea and toast explaining
that he was following doctors orders. Mrs
Roosevelt, who was travelling with him, asked
particularly as to the program for his day in
Omaha whether it contemplated anything more
than the address scheduled for the evening, say
ing that the doctor required complete rest as
a condition permitting him to carry out the
speaking engagement and other activities. If
planned, would have to be abandoned. The
colonel insisted he felt all right and discussed
as usual the war, his Speech the political out
look, and the various current topics | felt the
necessity of speaking louder than ] ordinarily
would, even allowing for the rattle. OF the cars,
owing to his obvious difficulty of hearing. AS
we came down along the river from Missouri
Valley into Council Bluffs, Mrs Roosevelt sud
denly caught view of the flock of observation
war balloons lowering over Fort Omaha.
Look at the balloonsP she exclaimed,
"Aren't they a beautiful sightH
There they were distinctly visible, rejecting
in the rays of the sun, eight or ten Of them.
We all Strengthened Up and gazed eagerly
through the car window, but after moment the
colonel settled back in his seat.
81 can't seem Them" he said simply and
went on with the topic of conversation.
These were signs of physical intrmity mlni-
tested more than six months ago. OF course,
no one would then take them to be forerunners
of speedy breakdown, but l observed at the
time to a number of people, that nothing would
bring him back to prime condition but COM
plete rest and subordinating all his interests to
special care of his health.
1 am reserving for this column the details
Of the conference had with Colonel Roosevelt
on the eve of the famous 1912 convention.
wrote out an account of this meeting at the
time, but have never made it public
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